That's the Way
by Midnight's Falling Star
Summary: The hardest part about her death was having to face his life. / "Two years I spent thinking her death was my fault. Now I have to spend a lifetime knowing I caused her all this pain." 1xR;  Rating update: M
1. Stairway to Heaven

_Note_: Some minor editing will be taking place for these chapters over the course of the next few weeks. Thanks for reading!

* * *

_That's The Way_

_Chapter 1_

_Stairway to Heaven_

_A/C 199_

The mansion he knew so well feebly stood before him, ablaze and crackling. The structure was crumbling before his very eyes, the foundation weakening with each passing second. He stared on, in shock and awe, his body frozen in place as his brain tried to register what had happened.

How could he have let this happen?

The Peacecraft Mansion, Relena's home, had the best security in the entirety of the world. He made sure of that, her safety always his top priority. But this time he missed something, he slipped up and allowed it to happen. It was his fault either way you looked at it.

Just twenty minutes beforehand she had called him, saying she wanted him here. He was already on his way over when he had received the call. He told her he would arrive soon. He felt the pang in his chest, remembering the last thing he said to her before hanging up the phone.

"_You will be safe until I get there."_

He was an idiot. Somewhere along the way, he tripped up and he did not see it. His blunder was of the worst kind with an even worse consequence.

He had been a mile away from her when he heard the explosion, feeling it just moments later. Immediately the worry crept into his senses, sending his muscle tense, his heart and mind alike racing and the car speeding in her direction. He weaved in and out of traffic, watching panicked civilians running for safety, grabbing children and a handful items as they instinctively sought safety, hiding from the threat.

He pulled up to see the manor, its once was splendor, in pieces and flames. The explosion had not been a massive one, not taking down the total structure in the blast but setting it to fire and scaring neighbors away. The intent was apparently to only do harm to the Peacecraft home.

The moment he saw the burning building was when his shock set in. He acted on autopilot as he got out of the car and walked up to the black cast iron gates, which guarded the premises to those unwanted. His gaze never broke, his dread never faltered. He never wanted to say it or believe it but his princess could never have survived this. Even if she had made it through the explosion, by now the fire had consumed her.

The question nagged at him, how he could not have been aware of this. There had not been any hint of anxiety or fear in her voice when she called. Everything seemed okay from his point of view. If something were wrong, if she was in imminent danger, she would have offered the distress word during their last conversation. But she did not. Which only told him that this had been a mistake on his part, somewhere in his security it was flawed and his own negligence was what ended Relena's life.

And now Heero stood there, his own failure burning in front of him, taunting him as the time passed ever so slowly. He was briefly aware of the police cars, ambulances and fire trucks pulling up to surround the fiery mass. He did not pay them any mind and he did not move from his position even when they request he do so for his safety. His safety was not an issue to him and should not have been any of their concern.

He was safe. She had not been.

That's when he felt the hands on him, trying to remove him from the site. He knew it was the policemen, so that the firefighters could get to work and he could be delivered to the paramedics for them to check his vitals. He moved with them, his thought process muddled and body unable to respond.

He failed her.

That was the only thing resonating his mind at this point; the dull hum of detachment filled his ears, drowning out the shouting commands of the protectors of the city. The words stung at him, sensation returning to his previously unresponsive nerves.

Finally his body reacted, tearing through the hands that grabbed at him with strength unforeseen by the paramedics. He ran past the workers, shoving past anyone and vaulting over anything that dare get in his way. He heard their cries for him to stop but he refused. He would be the one to save her and if it were too late, he would die right there with her in the same fire that claimed her life.

A crass, vain act, his logical thought process chimed in, the numbness fading as his initial survival instincts all screamed at him to stop, telling him that this was a suicide mission. But he could not obey, the normally dominant rationalization portion of his mind pushed to the back. He was not sure where this part of him came from and he could not bring himself to understand it. This suicidal race would never make sense to him. All he knew at this point was _go to her_.

Heero's steps never faltered even when he felt the heat radiate against him. He shoved through the deteriorated remnants of the door. Thick smoke began to fill his lungs as he wildly dashed through the first level, searching for Relena. Nothing would stop him at this point. He kept low as he tore a piece of his shirt and covered his mouth to slow the inhalation of smoke to prolong his search.

With each labored breath, his body hurt more, from physical and emotional pain. He could not find her.

"Relena!" The muffled yell of her name tore through him arbitrarily. She would not be able to respond even if by some slim chance she were alive. Relena was a fighter though and she would not give up easy. That was the only shred of hope keeping him moving.

His body was coated in sweat, shaking and weak and he was barely able to breathe. Scouring feebly through high traffic areas of the first floor, the conclusion that she wasn't there told him it was time to move on.

He ran to the burning staircase, ready to check the next level of the failing mansion. He was more than halfway up the steps when the weakened, charred wood snapped beneath his weight. He tried to catch himself on the step above but his fingers only grazed against it and he tumbled with the deteriorated steps, which would have eventually lead him to Relena.

The ground was unforgiving when his battered body thudded against it, the impact momentarily paralyzing him. He took the time to take in a few rattled breaths, the piece of fabric which served as a filter lost somewhere in the surrounding debris. He struggled to push at the foreign weight that crushed his chest, the wooden beams too heavy for his weakened arms to move.

Air was getting harder to take in after he gasp that shuddered through his body. The world spun around him, his vision swimming. He watched the flames dance around him, the smell of burning flesh briefly registering in his senses.

"Relena…" He choked out, his head lolling to the side.

He failed her. He tried so hard to protect her and he completely let her down. The darkness was a relief as it took over his body. He was hoping that this was death welcoming him. The pain of living in a world without her, with the guilt of knowing it was his fault she was dead, was too powerful. This is what he deserved for letting her down.

Death was his release.

* * *

A steady beep coaxed him from his slumber, but that was not the singular irritant to rouse him. The pain in chest and shoulder helped to wake him, but it was mostly the knowledge that subconsciously crept into that he was still alive.

The fire had not killed him.

"Dammit…" Heero muttered under his breath, his throat dry and tender. Wetting it with his saliva, he hoped it would offer some reprieve.

He heard voices outside his room, one he recognized as his comrade the other one he was not familiar with. It was an obvious fact that it was the doctor in charge of caring for him.

His eyes had been kept closed this entire time, keeping his heart rate at its steady pace so as not to alert anyone to check on him. He wanted to be left alone. He did not even want the privilege of life to be graced upon him. Everything was too painful.

"So, uh, Doc, how's he been doin'?" Duo asked, his usual jovial tone was dismissed. Heero eavesdropped on their conversation outside the door of his room, doing what he could to find out what was wrong with him without having to talk to anyone himself. Hoping that maybe he would hear word on Relena surviving the explosion and the fire.

The doctor sighed, "He's doing well. There is still some concern with the burns; infection is always a worry in these cases. We do expect him to wake very soon though."

That was as far as the conversation went.

Letting loose a dismal sigh, he closed he closed his eyes and slipped back into sleep.


	2. Ramble On

_Note: _Thanks for all the support!

* * *

_That's the Way_

_Chapter 2_

_Ramble On_

_A/C 201_

"Heero, man, maybe we could do something tonight. Just to, y'know, get you out for a little while. Sound good to you?"

Duo did not bother knocking anymore, instead just barging into Heero's apartment. He always heard him coming up to the door, he did not particularly mind anymore – at least not as much. He gave up on locking the front door to his room a long time ago. Safety was not much of an issue.

"No." He was consistently asked by the braided ex-pilot to go out and he consistently refused. Nights out were out of the question.

For about six months after her death Heero barely left his apartment. Duo eventually got him to leave, though it was a reluctant departure. That was the first time he realized the relief alcohol could offer, a brief solace from the world, a lapse in time, in memory and judgment.

He kept his alcoholism a secret for over a year. He always thought he had it under control but each passing week his desire for the liquid relief grew stronger and more difficult to ignore. He lost track of how many times he had been cut off and kicked out of bars, typically for fighting.

No one ever took notice, but he swore he constantly reeked of the liquid drug. People's ignorance made the alcohol all the more enticing. He could not refuse its intoxication.

"C'mon Heero. I know you miss her, we all do. But keeping yourself a prisoner to your own home is not doing you or her any favors. She would want you to keep living your life. Not containing it in a cage." As much as it sounded rehearsed, Duo's distress laced his words. A part of Heero knew he was right but he could not bring himself to act on the words that had been spilled out before him. "You have to keep living, man."

One night Heero took his drinking too far. Everything which had been kept simmering inside him for nearly seventeen months was bubbling to the surface. All of the pain, loneliness, anger, shame, guilt, frustration, but mostly his anguish, which had been steeping inside him, boiled over and he did the only thing he knew how to just to make it stop.

He drank.

He drank himself into a stupor. Some of the details were fuzzy to him but from what he was told and the patches he recollected told the lot of the story. He had gotten into a fight, thrown out of the bar and he returned his home to finish off what he could in his liquor cabinet. He was not sure if he was trying to kill himself that night, by means of alcohol consumption. He just knew he could not bring himself to stop drinking. Nothing was making the pain dissipate, not like it used to.

The most vivid portion of memory to him was when he returned to the scene of her death. Completely inebriated, he made the mistake of driving to the place where the core of his depression lay.

He stood amongst the barren land of the once-was Peacecraft mansion. He had a bottle of tequila in his hand, which was being quickly emptied into his body. There was a vacant bottle of brandy on his car's floor already, having been finished on his drunken drive to the site. His blood was soaking in more of the drug, coherent brain function squandering more with the passing seconds.

Heero made an effort to avoid this place completely, treating it like a plague. But one year, four months and seventeen days later, he stood before the wreckage. Vaguely, he remembered collapsing into the dirt; from pain and weakness or alcohol-induced vertigo he was not positive. He knew that he had been crying, unable to bear the heartache. The loss of her was so strong and heavy on his mind and his heart. It was suffocating. And it became more real with each shuddering, shaking breath he struggled to take in.

The bottle was now empty and lay uselessly next to his trembling body. Seeing that bottle next to him angered him. He blamed it on the lack of reprieve established to be the inducer of his rage but that was far from the root of his present, growing anger. He threw the glass, watching as the pieces shattered and danced before his eyes.

His heart was broken into more pieces than that thirty-two-ounce bottle.

Words began spilling out of his mouth at that point, not so much a lucid thought as much as irate drivels.

He had never felt so human before.

As juvenile as it was, he always thought himself to be invincible, impenetrable, immune. If his emotions began to be a burden to him, he had the simple option of shutting down completely, turning himself into stone, into ice. When he met her he realized he had a central flaw – his heart. He worked so hard to keep himself closed off, to construct an unyielding wall that entire armies could not defeat. It was a losing battle. Because no matter how much effort he exuded to keep her away, she would continuously find a way to tear down his strongest barriers. Until the day she died he painfully refused her, never wanting to but feeling like he had no other option. He always thought he would be the death of her and the realization dawned on him that he had been.

The next thing he remembered was waking up in the hospital, Lady Une in the room with him. She did not say anything for some time before she finally told him that Relena would hate to see him like this and then she left. That was when he stopped drinking.

Duo sat down next to him on the couch, a hand absently scratching his head. "It's just…you've been so separated from everyone lately. Maybe a little time out won't be such a bad thing."

The silence was deafening.

The longhaired pilot sighed, defeated. "I'm not going to make you do anything, but you can't spend the rest of your life feeling sorry for yourself." And with that said he departed.

The audible click of the door securing shut rang in Heero's ears, a reminder that he was alone. He did not understand the feeling, considering people who he knew were worried about him surrounded him. There was just a piece of him that felt desolate. Alcohol could not fill the void. Comrades could not ebb the sensation. Closure was only disconcerting.

He had seen a body. The medical examiner said it was hers. He refused to accept it initially because he did not want to believe she was truly gone. It was burned beyond any sense of recognition. A strong part of him still has not affirmed it to be her.

The entirety of the world and Colonies alike were shocked by the attack on her home and sudden death. But their devastation was shallow in comparison to those who were closest to her.

There were two funerals held for her. The first was for those closest to her – friends, family, colleagues, and diplomats. It was relatively small, respectful. The way she would have wanted it.

Heero was isolated from everyone he knew best, refusing to look anyone in the eye and not talking to anyone. He could not bring himself to say any words about her during the service. He blamed himself for her death. What right did he have saying anything about her?

The other attendees filled time with stories about good, humorous memories and highlighting her greatest attributes. He listened to their words, knowing exactly how great she was.

The second funeral was the day following, all who had attended the first did so the second, but this was open to the public and broadcast for everyone in the world and Colonies to see, allowing them to be apart of the memorial of the former Queen of the World. The streets were crowded with people, eerily quiet for such a mass as the hearse carrying Relena Darlian Peacecraft drove to the site of her final resting place.

She would have hated people making such a fuss over her. That singular thought, in a peculiar way, carried Heero through the rest of that day.

Her burial was private. Only open to those closest to her so they could offer their last respects to one of the strongest young women they had ever known, one who's life was cut short in its prime, well before she was meant to go.

Heero again stayed away from people, staring at the casket he knew was empty. It was just an object to please those in attendance, to offer a deeper sense of closure. Duo had put a hand on his uninjured shoulder, silently telling him everything will be okay and that he was there for him. He offered no acknowledgement, continuing his gaze, his thought process drastically slowed.

Finally at the close, people were placing red roses on her casket. He her favorite flower was the Arctic starflower. He was the last to place his flowers on her coffin. He stood next to it, staring down, the pang in his heart sharpening. She was gone, stolen away from him and it hurt. Slowly, he gingerly placed a small bouquet of the tiny flower atop the roses, watching some slip down the edge and fall into the waiting depth that would confirm she was gone from this world. He set his hand atop the cold wood, the chills dancing up his spine from the touch. _"I'm sorry."_ He whispered it at a near silent level.

He stepped away, standing straight up as she was lowered to the grave below.

Heero shook himself from his reflections, the ache growing to an intolerable level. His life had taken a halt upon her death. His hours at work for Preventers were sporadic, taking jobs when he felt like it, to help pass the time. Eating was an atypical occurrence. Friends were lost on him. They made contact with him, never the other way around. He lost a desire for a lot of things when he lost her, when he let her down.

He stood up from his seat on the couch and walked to small table adjacent to the front door, the red flashing light on his voicemail becoming a nuisance in his peripheral vision. He hit the play button and listened to the mechanical voice announce the quantity of his messages.

"_Left today at two forty-one p.m._" The voice stated before the message played, the feminine voice familiar to him.

"_Heero, it's Une. I wanted to check in on you to see how you were doing. But also, I want you to come back into work, with a regular schedule. We need you back here_."She sighed, the speaker cracking slightly at the sound. "_You can't keep doing this to yourself. Call me back._" The beep at the end of the message lingered.

"_End of new messages_." The machine announced and then quieted itself, the light no longer blinking.

He would call her back the next day.

Taking his shirt off, he ambled through the sparsely decorated apartment to its only bathroom. He threw the dark fabric into the hamper and stared at himself in the mirror. With his torso exposed, the scar that matted into his shoulder could be seen. He received it the day of the fire, when he was trying to save her. It covered his right shoulder, traveling from his clavicle to the top of his bicep. The scar wound and twisted its way around a quarter of his pectoral muscles.

It was a trophy of his failure that day. Try as he might to forget it, every time he caught a glimpse of it, everything came flooding back in, pummeling the cruel reality back into him. He closed his eyes against the thoughts, leaning against the countertop. _Maybe it's time._

* * *

Une's brown eyes were locked on her phone, waiting for it to ring. She had been hoping Heero would call back quickly but she knew better. He would wait a week before he did, even if he already made a decision.

She was worried about him. She had never seen the typically stoic, composed ex-pilot this way before. The worst she could ever recall seeing him was after he self-destructed his Gundam over five years ago. She swore the explosion had killed him. She could still visibly remember seeing his limp body take to the air and crash to the ground below, landing in a crumpled, bloody heap amongst the dirt and debris. The shock she felt was unfathomable. Later, to her ultimate surprise and awe, he survived that ordeal.

But the way he acted now was worse than that and she could tell of the pain he was feeling behind the impassive façade. Just over seven months ago she found him unconscious and barely alive at the empty lot that once was Relena's home. She waited for him to wake up in the hospital, alcohol poisoning nearly being the death of him. She watched him laying there, looking vulnerable and weak. It almost made her uncomfortable. That was why she did not stick around for long after he had woken up.

But after two years, it was time to get Heero back on track to his life. Everyone had questions about how anyone could have hurt Relena in the safety of her own home and everyone missed her, but dwelling on it was not doing anyone any favors. Heero was just killing himself slowly at this point. That was why she was insisting he return to work. It would be a good distraction for him and eventually the sadness will not be as strong. Present, but tolerable.

There was a knock at her door.

"Come in." She said as she shuffled a handful of papers together and placed them in a manila folder on the edge of her desk.

Duo and Quatre walked stepped into her office and they sat down in the two seats before her desk.

"Has he responded?" Quatre asked, knowing she was trying to get Heero to return to Preventers.

She shook her head, crestfallen. "No. But I expect he will soon."

There was a tense silence among the three, as they thought about if he would return her call. Everyone had been worried about him and how he had been acting. His depression was growing and without trying to get better, it was left to stew beneath the surface.

"This isn't good for him." The blond announced. They all knew it was true.

Duo closed his eyes and leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, his fingertips pressed together. "We've been trying to help. He just…doesn't want it."

"That doesn't mean he can sit inside all day and do God knows what." Quatre's voice was exasperated, frustration apparent. It was not directed at Duo, he felt helpless and useless in this situation. It was infuriating. "We didn't even know about the drinking."

The braided pilot's violet eyes opened quickly, looking at the Arab with a steady gaze. "That wasn't our fault. Heero kept that hidden from all of us. There was no way we could've known with how distant he's been."

Une watched the two as they talked. They all felt the same in this situation; it was obvious to see. And the way they were talking made it all the more clear.

She decided to put an end to their words before it became an unnecessary altercation. "We all want to help him and we are all trying. For the time being, that's the best we can do for him. Just to let him know that we are here for him without actually saying the words. He will come around when he's ready."

They quieted, accepting what she said as the truth.  
The three remained hushed for a brief while, their minds soaking in the words and wondering where things would go from here. With Heero in such a fragile state, everyone tried to keep in contact with him, to prevent him from again doing something rash. They had given him space before but that resulted in his excessive drinking and him nearly killing himself because of it. It went on ride in front of them and they failed to notice it until it was almost too late.

"Even though it's already been two years, I still can't believe she's really gone." Quatre finally stated. The words came out before he could stop them.

They all felt the same way. It did not necessarily have to be voiced.

"We still don't even know how it happened. The reports all say everything about her security was clean so how could anyone have possibly gotten a bomb in there without any of us knowing. Especially without Heero realizing." Duo stood up, his aggravation getting the better of him. Sitting was getting uncomfortable. "We should've known something was wrong. We should have noticed." He leaned against the wall, trying to calm himself. He did not want to look anyone in the eye after seeing him momentarily lose control.

He could still feel Quatre's troubled eyes fixed on him. He was always so empathetic and understanding.

Une's voice cut through the newfound tension, it was calm and purposeful. "Duo, if you keep thinking like that, you're going to end up in the same state as Heero. It happened. Someone managed to slip under our radar," she paused as she stood up from her desk chair and turned to look out the window. "It's unfortunate but there's nothing we can do to reverse it. We just have to find a way to move on without blaming ourselves."


	3. In the Light

_Note_: Not much to say here except thanks everyone!

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_That's the Way__  
Chapter 3_

_In the Light_

The drive to Preventers was tedious. Heero was still in the process of gathering his bearings, prepping himself for his first official day back to work. It was not that he was fearful that his skills were out of sync with his experience. It was simply the issue that in the past two years, he had not worked a full, consistent mission – or day for that matter. His high personal standards stood strong that he be in superb shape for whatever comes his way. While emotions are harder to keep in check, he was managing them and deemed it time to bury them, so he could find balance in work again.

Strolling through the familiar hallways with a sense of purpose rather than presence, he began to realize he missed work. He had a job he appreciated and it was a job he was respected for. Not many people have that luxury and it makes the workload a burden. His was his new succor. He could not understand why he made the effort to avoid this place for two years.

He invited himself into Une's office, ignoring the receptionist's requests to please wait and inquiries about a scheduled appointment. Une was expecting him and he had never needed an appointment before. He stood between the two armchairs in front of her large, mahogany desk. She had not yet looked up from the papers she was reading.

"Hello Heero." Une at last greeted, her eyes still rooted to the file.

He did not say anything, merely waited patiently. He could not start his work without a briefing from her.

After a matter of minutes, the papers were placed neatly in their respective folder. Une sighed, clipping a Polaroid to the top of the file and holding it out for him to take.

Heero took it from her and automatically flipping it open, briefly skimming the information it provided, already dreading what he saw. The world around him seemed to come to a screeching halt.

Picketers. He had to deal with small time protesters. He was being instructed to do some of the lowest level of Preventers work – done by someone of highest Preventers security clearing.

"I want you to investigate a local disturbance," she began "They just seem like small time rebels, unhappy with the present government situation."

"They are allowed to publicly voice that they aren't happy." Heero mentioned, somewhat flippant. He would try to get out of a mission that made him regret coming back to work. He would not outwardly voice that he did not want this job and that it should be given to a recruit. But he would still attempt to get a better job.

"Yes, but when vandalism of public monuments and City Hall starts to enter the picture, then we have an issue." She stared him, unimpressed with the remark. "Some have already been detained but during interrogation, they revealed that they were not working alone and that momentum was being gained. Granted it is most likely nothing serious but we are still intending on looking into it. And that's where you come in."

Heero was silent, still not regarding this as severe.

It was apparent that this was busy work being bestowed upon him. He was relatively aware that that was all he would be assigned but he was not expecting something so negligible. Heero knew she was serious. This was his work for the day and he would do it.

"Is that all?"

"No." She said sharply, barely allowing him time to finish his question. She rose from her chair and walked around her desk. She stood next to him, looking intently at him. He half turned towards her to watch her better, curious of the impending words. "Welcome back."

With a quick nod, he exited her office, ready to start a new day.

* * *

Trowa had not seen Heero often since his alcohol poisoning. He found it uncomfortable to be around his friend especially succeeding that incident. Ever since Relena's death it had been a strenuous relationship. Trowa did not particularly understand his uneasiness but he still had a profound response to it. He would visit Heero on occasion, to see how the similarly stoic pilot was dealing with life after her, but he made it seldom occurrence. Seeing him as shattered as he had irked him and with such a release of emotion he had no clue how to respond to it. It was simpler to avoid him.

Today he had learned from Wufei that Heero was coming back to Preventers and with that newfound knowledge, a ghost of a smile had touched his lips knowing his friend was getting his life back on track. He knew he would not be the same, at least not for an extended period of time, but he was at long last putting forth the effort.

Wufei had not shared the same dilemma as Trowa did. This sort of situation was, unfortunately, familiar to him. The Chinese pilot assisted Trowa, trying to alleviate his guilt for evading his distraught friend. He explained that the loss of a loved one takes a toll on one's being, but when that person is someone you are in love with it is the same thing as two people dying. One being physical, the survivor's emotional.

It was not a cruel thing to avoid someone in that state. Some people did not know how to handle with it, some people could not bear to see a friend like that and other people had to deal with both. That had been Trowa's impasse.

His words helped. And he was silently grateful for the man's words. Trowa hoped that trying to reconnect with Heero would not be an awkward feat. Considering his comprehension of the stolid man, Trowa's avoidance of him would not cross his mind. He probably did not notice the infrequency of his appearances.

The tall ex-pilot made the last few strides to Heero's office. The room had remained nearly untouched for two years, only being entered for cleaning purposes. The Heavyarms pilot pressed the intercom button, "Heero. It's Trowa."

There was a quiet buzz and then the metal door slid open, entrance being granted. Trowa stepped inside and saw Heero busily working at his computer. The door shut behind him as he moved closer to his comrade. He saw a file open on his desk and without a better idea of a decent topic starter, he inquired about his latest project.

"Une wanted me to look into a small time radicalism group. There isn't much on them."

Trowa's face remained blank as he scanned the file, getting a loose idea of whom they were and what they were up to. "Good at keeping secrets?"

"Not much to say." Heero corrected. "They're nothing really. They talked about financial assistance from a second party, which is what I was to look into. But there is no proof of that anywhere. Virtually nothing to their name. No funding, no offshore bank accounts, no allied organizations. It's a group of thirty just looking for trouble, gain a little notoriety in the process."  
Even Trowa found himself perplexed about what he was working on. It was incredibly low level. "What do you do then?"

"Find the leader, bring him in. Pretty straightforward."

He nodded, agreeing. "Why were you told to do this? Anyone with a minimal level of clearing and a week of training could have figured this out."

Heero shrugged. "Busy work."

Trowa nodded again as he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. The answer should have been obvious.

Stillness fell between the two, the conversation having come to an abrupt halt. The only noise filling the room was that of Heero's swift typing, the clicking seeming to echo in the otherwise silent office.

"Have you seen Duo today?" Trowa asked, curious of where the braided man was. Duo was easily considered Heero's best friend, even though he would never admit it. It was Duo who continuously tried to cheer Heero up, putting his best efforts forth. He would visit him at his home, bring him take out and would always try to get him back to work. Duo had actually been the one to pull Heero from the fire of Relena's destroyed home and rode in the ambulance with him to the hospital. They were close; there was no doubt about that.

"He was here earlier. He's not working. He and Hilde have plans today."

The silence took over again. He figured this conversation was not going to go much further, leaving would be the better option. Heero was still readjusting to coming back to work so he was going to leave him to that.

"I'll let you finish your work. I'll stop by later."

"Hn."

Trowa pressed the open button on the door's control panel, looking over his shoulder. "How are you doing?" He noticed the slight stumble in his typing, regret of asking beginning to creep in.

"Better."

That was all Trowa needed to hear as he stepped out, the door sliding shut inaudibly behind him.

Once he was alone in his office, Heero began working on his real project. He set his own agenda for the days ahead. For two years this is what he had needed to do. His own self-loathing held him back. No one else wanted to look, no one could. Heero's security was definitely a hard one to understand, the other pilots would not get too far if they tried looking into it to begin with. But they all knew it should be and it would be him who discovers who did this. Whenever he was again ready, he would finally find who it was. And today he at long last felt prepared to.

He knew revenge would not bring her back. But this would provide the closure that everyone else desired – especially for him.

How anyone could hack into his system was beyond him. It was nearly impenetrable. He ran regular scans to ensure there were no remnants of someone sneaking into his system. No faulty pings, no software doors, no firewall breaches. Everything always read as normal and in a highly secure state.

He had not checked the information on the network since the day before her death. The last time he had seen her was when he was updating his allegedly impassable security system and that was the last time he ran a systems check.

Heero pulled up his software program, reviewing the information. The program managed the computers and the security cameras. Many times there were people attempting to break through the barriers he set, leaving traces of themselves and him easily being able to locate the perpetrator. Gaining access into the system meant seeing inside the house, controlling the cameras, downloading files of her schedule, gaining knowledge of detailed information on active users of the computers. You could learn nearly everything from it. That was one of the biggest flaws of the program. But seeing as he thought no one could intrude, it was not a fear. Even Relena said no one would be able to discover how to infiltrate its security.

They were both wrong on that note.

He updated the system every month, so any hidden bugs would be automatically erased. No one could keep cracking his system with his constant updates so the problem had to be from the outside.

Then it registered. The central flaw in his entire program, the one thing that could not be surpassed in the creating of the software, the minute detail that he assumed would not be a major dilemma in the application of his program due to its insignificant, infrequent passing occurrences. It was something he tried to solve between each interval.

During every update the firewall would be entirely down for four and a half seconds, leaving the network completely exposed.

The proxy server would need to be momentarily shut down to allow Heero's programmed security bugs to gain access. His own system, designed with these security readers, processed them as a threat so during each renewal the firewall was shut off for a very brief window to grant the scanners entrance to the network, where they would feign a recognizable IP to avoid being booted from the system.

It was such an unlikely happening but that tiny detail, if ever discovered, could prove to be catastrophic.

But only entrance into a server once a month for four seconds could not do the damage, an additional program would need to be implemented so it could pilfer the information it needed. Through numerous automated scans and deep searches executed by him, Heero could not find any hint of added software. Four seconds would not allow enough time for anything major but something that would take so little to install would not have a decent means of secrecy allowed.

Heero racked his mind for more ideas, knowing he would have to manually search considering his system scans were not detecting anything out of the ordinary.

The command box on his computer screen was overflowing with numbers, letters and algorithms, all looking through his server to see wherein the problem lay. He checked for opened ports, tested strings and algorithms, scanned the history's traffic, and observed the package protocol and IP addresses attached to them.

After an extensive, two hour search he was running his final traces on the firewall, not expecting to find anything. So far he had located nothing and his previous confidence was waning. It was a seldom occasion when Heero lost faith in his skills but this situation was grim and he hated to say that the people who took Relena's life may very easily get away with it.

The concluding search came up empty.

He did not find anything. Whoever the hacker was, he had not left a trace. Heero knew there was a hacker; there was no other way to drop an explosive off at her home without a way of controlling the cameras functions. Without access to the root user account, you could not control the cameras. It was all on computers. This was not a paranoid delusion he thought of, he had an abundance of personal experience on the subject.

If there were no traces behind his firewall then he would have to check the other end. This was the only possibility left.

He shut down his computer's firewall, leaving the network completely vulnerable. He ran a quick scan. In the five minutes it took the scan, his heart was pounding. If he found something, he would find who killed Relena and he would destroy them.

The computer beeped with the results. There was only one corrupt vector beyond his firewall.

With swift fingers, he opened the data storage, expecting to find an infinite series of fraudulent strings. What he found left him shocked, wondering how he could have missed something that should have been so evident.

A shell program had been employed in his system, hiding just outside the reaches of his firewall to leave the device almost entirely hidden.

The tightening in his chest hurt, the anger building to an intolerable level. This is how they learned of everything. The shell had been programmed to a For loop, scheduled to repeat itself six times. During the software updates, it would steal bits of information and act as one of Heero's set IP addresses. It would ruse as a masquerading IP and have unlimited access to the network. The time it was set was only for thirty minutes but that was plenty of time to learn of valuable data. It would terminate itself after that time and then wait again for the next sequence to begin.

For seven months this shell had remained undetected, mimicking Heero's own design of security.

The seventh update month, the shell's command was linked to an additional device. At the end of the device's identification number, it read "15hr." Heero knew at that moment that it was linked to the bomb that blew up Relena's mansion. Fifteen hours before the detonation, he had been amending the security at her home.

With the access they had in that time, they were able to alter the video footage of the premises, making it appear as if no one was ever there. The window read that video files had previously been deleted.

Everything was right there in front of him on the log.

The commands, the dates, the times, the deletion of files. Everything he had ever missed was in front of him.

He scrolled back to the bottom of the log and realized what was written there that he had not seen before.

His eyes darkened, this was the name of the people who caused all the suffering he had endured. The name resonated in his ears as he repeated it in his mind rage seeping into his being.

_#!/bin/sh_

_USERNAME=imperium_

_# Para. 1; mis acomp "199"_

_# return_

_check_errs $? echo {0}_

_echo {1}_

_# exit ${7}_

Heero had printed the log and was now still sitting in his office, an hour since discovering, deciding how to handle this issue. Should he do this on his own or tell Une and receive the help from his comrades. It was significantly difficult to come to a conclusion. He was strongly considering working alone but he could tell that this group called Imperium would take a lot of work to bring to its knees.

He put the papers in a folder, staring at the beige file.

This was a massive step. He finally roughly knew who killed Relena and how they pulled it off. His next priority was locating them. With an untraceable shell it would be an arduous feat but the fire that burned in him would not be extinguished by that aspect.

The door slid open and he briefly considered the possibility of his commander spying on him to make certain he was doing his work but when he noticed it was Wufei the notion fleeted.

His comrade did not greet him, merely walked inside and stood silently.

Heero did not mind the intrusions. It was the presence he mutely appreciated. No one ever needed to say a word; part of him preferred they would not. Silence was a concept completely lost on Duo. But he still valued his friendship and respected the man for saving his life.

He was still staring at the file, his mind already making up his final decision.

"I know who killed Relena." That was the first time since the fire he had said her name out loud.

The shocked expression on Wufei's face disappeared as quickly as it came. He was quiet for a moment longer, deciding how to respond. "How do you know?"

Heero voicelessly handed the file to him, still not meeting his curious gaze.

Wufei took it and flipped through the three papers, scanning them keenly. "When did you find this?"

"An hour ago."

"Have you called it in?"

"Not yet."

"Why not?"

The question hung in the air, it seeming to echo off the bare walls of the minimal room. There was a sigh from Heero.

"I want to do it alone."

Wufei did not respond for some time, understanding the fellow ex-pilot's words. It was clear to see why he wanted to work alone but the fact was he would not be able to do this without help. "You need our help."

Heero stood up, finally looking him directly in the eyes. Wufei could see in the Prussian depths the anger that raged, the need for revenge. "I need to do it alone."

But through it all what he noticed the most was the hurt that the man felt.

"You need our help." He reiterated, both of them knowing it was the truth. This was not a mission that could be done by a single man; it would take a full force. The rest of them wanted to see these people ruined for what they had done.

The confused man's eyes drifted, him turning his back on Wufei and staring at the wall. "This is all about revenge." His voice sounded outlandishly guilty. Not guilt for wanting to kill the men who took her life but because she would not want him to do it, not when his only intention was revenge. "She wouldn't want me to take revenge for her life."

The Chinese man understood, knowing the princess of pacifism was not keen on the idea of revenge and the mentality that came along with it. Vengeance perverted a person's morals and ideals. It could turn even the most knightly of men into corrupt demons who's passion is not to fight for what they believe but to fight because a thirst of blood.

But he saw this wholly different.

"It's not revenge," Wufei plainly stated. "It's justice."

* * *

Four men sat around a metal table in a dimly lit room, the single light bulb suspended by one thin wire from the ceiling above. The cigar smoke danced in a thin trail in front of the light, leaving a pungent odor in its wake. The smoker let out a low chuckle, his eyes scanning the laptop before him.

"Well, well…looks like the boy wonder is finally catching on." He stated in a jovial tone. "And it only took him two years since his precious princess was taken from him."

The four men had waited two years, leaving their shell perfectly out of sight but entirely possible to find. The time frame was not a matter for them to dwell on. The longer it took to come about, the greater the result.

They sacrificed speed for efficiency.

The entirety of the globe and Colonies had been baffled by the attack on the Peacecraft girl, wondering how such a supreme barrier could be broken. With the proper equipment and the right amount of patience any level of security could be breached.

It just takes the right people and they were those people.

The next step in their plan was about to take flight and arrangements needed to be put in place. But for the time being they were going to celebrate yet another effortless victory.

A man with dark brown hair rose from his seat, lifting his glass of aged cognac whiskey. "Gentlemen," a smile graced his chiseled features, his light blue eyes filling with delight as he acknowledged his comrades, "Prepare for war."

* * *

_Note_: To avoid confusion, translation of my shell speak is:

Username: Imperium

Parameter 1: Mission accomplished, 199

Return

Check errors: 0  
Echo

Exit


	4. Black Dog

_Note_: Enjoy!

_That's the Way_

_Chapter 4_

_Black Dog_

For the past three days, the pilots barely slept. There was no time wasted between the announcement of Heero's discovery to beginning the search with the sparse evidence they had. Une had pulled every top IT expert in Preventers to assist with their investigation. It was an exclusive team. Only the best and the most trusted were permitted. She wanted this to be done right and she wanted it kept quiet. The people they were looking for could not know they were on their trail.

The first day minimal information was discovered, but when things seemed their most bleak, they finally found a trace. The doors began opening much easier at that point. It was a strenuous ordeal but there were dedicated souls at the ready to give all they could to solving this mystery that had been kept so well hidden for two years.

They would finally achieve justice.

Une's eyes scanned the small room, the blue luminescence of the computer screens shrouding the space with a busied solemnity. This was not a simple mission and the weariness of everybody was growing. However, no one wanted to stop looking. She would send people on a break, telling them to eat something or to get some rest. They would always insist on five more minutes. It almost seemed like a juvenile persistence but it always held a defiant confidence, in their abilities and their accomplishments thus far.

She was exhausted. Slumber was something she had largely neglected the past seventy-two hours, only taking in a total of six hours of sleep over the course of. The energy and adrenaline was beginning to wane. Her fatigue was clearly visible on her face. She needed adequate rest to prepare the briefing of their collected information and discuss their tactical plan with the top agents assigned to this mission.

The pilots were the leads on this difficult undertaking. If she had not demanded they were to not be a part of the enumeration, then they would be in this room right now. It was an averse concurrence but it kept them out. They were in definite need of rest, preparation for the road ahead. This would have been a needless drain of energy when the Preventers was stocked with the best of the best. Too much time had already been lost in letting these sadists roam free but now it was time to take what they deserved. Being properly equipped was a necessity.

She was not sure if Heero's judgment would be clear enough to handle this operation but requesting he stand down was out of the question. In actuality, he needed this more than anyone. She could not deny him this moment.

Une went around the room and excused five agents. There was not much more they could do in terms of locating information. They found plenty of information that at the very least told them where to go and who to find. Upon locating the killers they would move forth from that point. It could never be as straightforward as it sounded.

She stood along the raised perimeter of the room, the outer rim giving her enough height to easily see everyone's doing with ease. She silently observed the team, only giving a command when necessary. This process could not be rushed. They were all diligent in their duties, staying silent as their active fingers ran across the keyboard before them. Recognition was due for these people.

"Lady Une," the head technician called, breaking the silence, "you should really take a look at this."

"What is it, Mathias?" She called from her perch.

"You have to see it for yourself."

She made quick steps to his side, leaning down to get a better look at what was displayed on screen. She examined the file that was pulled up, more contempt welling inside her covered with a thin layer of bewilderment. "Well I'll be damned."

* * *

"What we have uncovered in three days is astonishing. It took over two years to find it, but upon the original piece of information found, it was the first domino of many." Une recited to the young men before her. They were not yet fully aware of what they had learned. "I must add that it is not the amount that is surprising as much as it is what was found."

The pilots sat with stoic faces. This was a dismal situation despite the victory just out of their reach. No one ever believed they would have to locate Relena's murderers. There have been attempts more often than there should have but for someone to actually succeed was chilling. Bringing them to justice was the only upside at this time, but none of them could see past that through their sorrow.

"I know searching for the people responsible for the death of someone so close is a painful ordeal," her eyes lingered on Heero for a moment longer than the rest of the men present, "but if we want to make this a reality, we all need to focus solely on the task at hand: Bringing these people down."

She did not want to seem callous; this was hard for her too. She was well aware though what needed to be done and she put all her concentration on that.

"The organization behind the attack calls themselves 'Imperium.' The closest pinpoint of a location we could find was on Colony L2-V07835, barren land home to abandoned warehouse, a lot of which were destroyed during the war in A/C 187. They are on a quest for power and the easiest way for them to achieve that power is through manipulating the masses. Through gaining the trust of civilians, they can gain momentum through that support. This is the start of classic coup d'état."

"Usurpers." Quatre voiced subconsciously, listening intently.

Une nodded. "Exactly."

"Well how do they intend to do that?" Duo chimed in, curiosity growing. He fully believed that was their intent but you cannot have social support if the social does not know you. "We haven't even heard of them so I doubt anyone else has."

"I will explain that momentarily. Right now I want to introduce you to the leaders of this organization." She clicked the on button on her remote, the beginning the slideshow of the acquired details.

The picture of a thin man was displayed on the large projection screen. His hair was jet black, landing just above his shoulders. His eyes were dark green and his young face made him appear more a gentle soul than a bomb engineer.

"His name is Victor Sulla – he's thirty-two years old. He was a munitions engineer for OZ during the war, specializing in bomb manufacturing. His last known location was colony L3-X18999 in A/C 196. There was speculation made that he was assigned to dropping the colony onto Earth."

"He was a part of Mariemaia's Army?" Quatre inquired, recollecting that incident vividly. It was a scary thought remembering how many lives could have been lost that day.

Une shook her head. "He wasn't an official member. They wanted someone who could get the job done swift and properly. This was never confirmed but it is very likely." She clicked the button again, displaying the image of a new man with light brown hair laced with grays and skeptic hazel eyes. His face was hardened with war and age. "Aldrich Thrax, fifty-one years old. He was a first lieutenant in the military. He desired to be apart of the Romefeller Foundation, believing his ideals for a grand war with mobile suits controlled from the outside would allow his entrance. They all viewed him as unstable and denied his request – but not before taking his idea and creating mobile dolls. He was infuriated with this and went AWOL in A/C 195. No one has seen him since."

The pilots sat silently, taking in the information pouring out before them. This was hard to hear for all of them and they were not sure how to respond. They opted to stay quiet and let her finish, all of them pondering what their next move should be. A plan that was rapid and simple, there was always backups to be made for hiccups in the strategy.

The next man displayed was blond with hollow blue eyes. He seemed eerily detached, as if the man he was had died a long time ago and he was the shell of who he used to be. "Captain Wilhelm Hardrada, forty years old. He was part of the Alliance military but during Operation Daybreak, he went rogue, joining OZ forces. Once OZ split between Romefeller and the Treize Faction, he took to Treize's side. After the battle at Luxembourg, he remained underground for a long while. The last anyone ever saw of him was in early A/C 197."

She hit the remote one more time, bringing up the picture of a man with dark brown hair and light blue eyes. The image of him was disconcerting in that he seemed like a respectable, cordial man, considering he was a decorated military official. But in his eyes you could detect the small maniacal thirst in them. If you can read a façade, you can see the deranged aspect of this man's features. The pilots not only knew how to put up a mask but they could easily spot them and find what is beneath the surface.

"This is Attero Crowley, leader of Imperium. He is the mastermind behind the organization."

Heero had remained completely silent during this meeting. He had been maintaining a significantly better sense of control over himself but he was afraid this is what would ruin all the time and the work he had required to roughly patch what had been so relentlessly torn.

"He is thirty-four years old. At one point he, was a Colonel in for the Alliance military. He received high acclaim from superiors and he was a brilliant tactical strategist. However, he was dishonorably discharged from his status on sedition charges. He was provided Alliance information to OZ, who with it had Field Marshal Noventa killed along with other Alliance members and later General Septum. Following this event, he attempted to gain power in the Romefeller Foundation, insisting on creating a grand war and controlling all aspects of every faction, knowing that Romefeller was doing the funding for the UESA and OZ. They did not accept his terms so he went back to the Alliance and demanded a higher position of power, claiming massive bloodshed for any who opposed him or denied his power. He was stripped of all decoration and banished from the Alliance. He has been off the radar since A/C 195."

With the information located, it is obvious that he has been spending time gathering a small army and finding the best to lead with him. He is on a conquest for the power he has been denied. Which brings us to how he intends on gaining this power he has been craving." The screen switched to the next slide, displaying four documents with ESUN and Preventers' watermarks and seals, familiar signatures and dated before and after the days of Relena's murder. "These are four of the seven forged documents we have found, stating that the ESUN is responsible for Relena's death and the Preventers' assistance in covering it up."

"They look real." Quatre said from his seat, examining the scanned images carefully. "That's impossible."

"We thought it would be impossible for anyone to kill Relena too." Trowa stated, his voice low and solemn. Quatre's gaze fell to the floor upon hearing those words. They achieved the impossible before, what was so hard about them doing it again?

"These files are unfathomably realistic and if the media got a hold of these, the public would go into chaos. We are whom they trust and if that trust is shattered, we could be dealing with a serious termination of power. The public, unfortunately, can be easy to manipulate. With the concern of making no progress on Relena's death, it would not be hard for them to believe the first thing they are informed about especially with such solid evidence.

"These documents are supposed personalized letters between the leaders of the ESUN and myself, with all our counterfeit signatures. It tells the date and the time of the detonation and the describes what type of bomb would be used and then the pact made between Preventers and the ESUN to keep the details quiet and rule this as a cold case. It insinuates that the ESUN intends on destroying the peace and start a new war, allowing them to use the surprise attack to gain the upper hand and gain sole power of the Earth and colonies."

The lot of them had a hard time comprehending what they were being told. It was unbelievable how any faction could put this together while remaining entirely out of sight.

"Why do you presume they have not yet released these files to the public?" Wufei's question was on everyone's mind but the surprise they were feeling was enough to silence them.

Une had thought the same thing yesterday when Mathias revealed this to her. "I had been wondering the same thing but from what I understand they—"

"They wanted us to find out first." Heero cut in, his voice dangerously low.

She nodded, having been just about to say the same thing. "Yes. He wants this power and is on his way to gaining it, it's a form of gloating. The file these papers were attached to, gave us a lot of the details in their intentions with them. They basically stated that as soon as we make our move to stop them, they were going to leak them to the media."

"So if they don't know we're comin', we're okay then." Duo voiced, slightly perplexed still about the worry.

Une shook her head. "If we had not found them, they would have released these files anyway. They were scheduled to go out five months from now despite our knowledge of them. As soon as we move towards them though, they would claim that we are trying to keep them silent so we could get away with Relena's murder. They are saying that with them revealing this false veracity, they would gain power. They claim to be dedicated to finding the truth and persecuting those responsible for lying to the masses."

"Who would believe that kind of mumbo jumbo!" The braided man's voice rose with the evident frustration. These people sounded like the maniacs they were. "You can't just show up out of no where with some fancy papers and say what's on them is true without some credentials yourself!"

"You would be surprised, Duo, at what people would believe in times of fear." Trowa announced from the other side of the room. "People want truth and if they have been waiting so long to hear what happened to their princess, they will take it. That's why arbitrary slander is so influential. It doesn't need to be real, it just needs to be stated."

"It's regrettable to say but Trowa is exactly right. At this point, people don't want truth they want answers. Word about Relena's death is still making front page news two years later, the public will hear what they are waiting to, truth regardless." For the briefest moment, the sternness of Lady Une dissipated, letting the somber distress cover her gentle features. This was a grim situation and as soon as they acted, they were going to need to make a swift play because they many not have the world on their side for very long.

"We need to plan a swift attack, to be initiated soon. Get in quietly, get out quietly. The less time we give them to prepare, the better our chances are." Wufei's voice cut the tense silence as he moved to stand in front of the small group of men who were entrusted with this delicate mission. "I say just a simple infiltration, send three of us on the inside and the other two patrol the outside. We want to keep it quiet and clean. Duo and Trowa will be the internal security, Quatre and I the external. We will need Heero on the inside, he's the best hacker out of us and he can hack into the network, retrieve the files and destroy the hard drive with a virus you'll implement in their system. With the information recovered, you make a swift exit with Duo and Trowa. We don't want any casualties during this; it will keep their alert down."

Duo put a thoughtful hand to his forehead. "Wufei, your plan is great n' all but it doesn't really accomplish everything. What about the bastards in charge? Don't we need to take them down and out?"

"I understand what he wants to do." The blond ex-pilot stated, grabbing Duo's attention. "If we get these files, they won't be in control anymore. We accomplish this and we can later devise what to do with to the leaders."

Wufei nodded, knowing that was exactly what he was intending. The plan was completely simple, almost not needed of being said, but that was not the difficult part. That would come when they are safe to take the time they need to pursue this.

"This needs to be enacted immediately." The Chinese man said. Turning his attention to Heero, he recalled the conversation they had five days ago in his office. "Are you ready for this?"

Wufei personally knew the answer to this question but it was a reassurance that he could do this and maintain his composure during this. It had been nearly a week since he inquired about how capable he was to handle this. He could not allow his emotions to compromise the follow operations ahead of them, for Relena's sake.

Heero held his gaze, eyes piercing and strong. He had been waiting for this for two years. As angry as he was, he was not going to let his emotions run rampant and destroy his only chance to take retribution for the woman he cared so deeply about but could never admit to it.

"I've been ready."

"Good." Une stepped forward, having been anticipating Heero's answer and knowing he was intent on this mission. "Because you leave at dawn."

* * *

_Note_: I hope I did a well enough job incorporating all the people into the original story line. I don't want to just toss these guys in there without a decent background.


	5. Carouselambra

_Note_: Enjoy!

* * *

_That's the Way_

_Chapter 5_

_Carouselambra_

Zechs had been waiting for this day. He never viewed himself as a particularly sensitive person but when he had been informed that his sister had been killed in an explosion, the grief and the rage he felt were like nothing he had ever experienced before. It was devastating.

How his mind functioned for the subsequent weeks was overwhelming. It was not long before his anger swallowed him. And when it became too much to bear, he isolated himself. He avoided everyone he had been associated with. The mere thought of the pity he knew they would offer him revolted him. Lucrezia was the only exception to that impulse. She would be less inclined to give him the looks he hated. She was more sensitive to how this affected him and would express her compassion in a delicate way, like she always did with him.

It soon became easy for him to forget Relena ever existed in his life, to forget that he ever held a special place in his heart for her. He had never thought their sibling bond would grow enough for him to care in the event of her death, but his emotions took siege and he found himself a hostage to the love he mutely held for his long time lost sister.

The way he saw it, he lived his life content without her and he could do it again – he had not been Milliardo Peacecraft for a long time.

No one had been immune to her charm. There was no possible way anyone could be. She was pure and innocent – those who had been tainted by war and bloodshed had found her undeniable. People were drawn to her. Even Heero, the Perfect Soldier, was completely intoxicated by her. Zechs hated that. He did not want him anywhere near his sister but she wanted the opposite. She adamantly refused to listen to him when he said he was not right for her. She was as stubborn as he was.

When Lady Une had called him to tell him that Heero made a discovery about Relena's killers a week ago, he breathed an air of disinterest as he listened to her. Lucrezia clearly exhibited concern for how he had been acting entirely for the past years, but the last week vexed her the most. She made the effort to let him know that. Despite the consistent questioning, he let her close to him.

His feigned nonchalance is what kept him away from Preventers until now. Nine days after they found their first trace as to who was responsible for his sister's demise. He wanted to know, he was waiting for a break in the open case – this was just a device to keep him grounded.

"Lady Une." He greeted, voice monotonous. He took a seat in the familiar office, noting that it had not changed much since his last visit five months ago.

"Zechs, it's good to finally see you again." She set the file down and put her attention on him. "I'm glad you could find the time to come in." It was not a malicious remark, but it did have undertones insinuating he should have been there sooner. He was not going to dwell on it.

"What do we know?" He wanted to get straight to the point. Though he spent his time acting like he did not care, his previous feelings were slowly emerging. This was his family they were talking about.

She grabbed the file from her desk and handed it to him. "We know enough. Taking them out may be a slow going process however."

"Then what's this I hear about Yuy and the others heading to the L2 colony cluster?" He absently flipped through it, noting that the Treize Faction was mentioned numerous times.

She sighed. "It's complicated."

A faint smile graced his lips. "It's always complicated."

"It's why we wanted to act fast. It's our preemptive strike. We're going to hit them when they least expect it and we will gain control of this situation. Then when the timing is just right, we will take them down full force."

"These documents are forged." Zechs subconsciously stated, eyeing the letters. They looked undeniably genuine. He could tell they were counterfeit but anyone would see them as bona fide papers, of the ESUN and Preventers planning on killing Relena. If any of them tried to deny their words, no one would believe it. They would only take it as a further cover up – as them trying to make the good guys look bad.

"It's why we needed to move fast. We can't give them the opportunity to release those to the press. We will be under fire and the world could easily fall into chaos." Une crossed her arms over her chest, leaning against her desk, her back to him. "We are going to make our first attack swift, keeping our numbers down and our time inside brief. We need to take these files and short their hard drive so they won't have any potential access to back-ups."

"Seems simple enough. Hopefully they don't mess it up. This could be the only chance we get."

He set the folder on the end of the desk. He could feel the resentment that had been kept detained inside him trying to break free. It took every fiber of his being to maintain his calm. His fists were clenched at his side, his knuckles white and fingertips pressing painfully into his palms. If they ruined this mission, he would make sure they regret it. He held Heero responsible for her death and he would be the first to go.

Une made a call on the video-phone, he had been too encompassed in his thoughts to notice her saying she was calling someone. He watched as a familiar face appeared on the screen.

"Duo, what's your location?" She asked him, wasting no time.

"Well hello to you too, Lady." His gaze flickered to the left for a moment. "We're not far, about seventy miles out."

Zechs stepped into view of the screen. "Where's Yuy?"

Duo turned in the chair, his arm gesturing to the other pilot. "Right over here. C'm 'ere, Heero!"

The Prussian eyed pilot was on screen, his face was severe, as it always was. Zechs though could read the fire that lay just beneath the façade. The pilot was good at keeping the mask up, but the emotion he held could not easily be tamed. It still did not ebb the disdain he held for getting his sister killed. "Yuy."

"Hn." It was a quiet acknowledgement, but he was not expecting much more.

"Take them down." That was not what he was expecting to say. His mind had wanted to threaten the pilot if he dared mess this up but the words that came out had offered more of an encouragement to him. It was bizarre and unintended, but it felt right.

Heero gave him a curt nod before disappearing from the screen, the braided American resurfacing, a grin on his face. "Good pep talk! I was really expecting you to say something completely different."

Zechs departed from the screen, leaving Une on it.

"A Preventers' team will be waiting for you at the port, they will be providing the transportation for you." Une stated to her team. "And when you get out there, be careful."

"Roger that. We'll notify you as soon as we land."

She ended the call, looking at Zechs with a curious gaze. "That was unexpected." It was for both of them.

The blond man was already walking out of the room, done with the meeting and satisfied with the information he learned of today. Before closing the door behind him, he paused. "I expect more details by tomorrow."

* * *

The five agents walked through the station, a strong sense of purpose in each stride. Today was finally the day, after a two-day journey. They weaved through the crowd of people of the L2-V07835 colony. This was not the most populated colony in the L2 cluster but it was not the least either.

A quarter of the surface of this colony had been destroyed years before; it had been caught in the midst of a battle during the war. The barren land, largely untouched in over twenty years, would be an obvious home to erecting anti-peace organizations while keeping off the radar, but it would also be convenient. Construction in this area could easily go unnoticed, patrols coming few and far between. The natives of this colony seldom ventured to the devastated land. It was a form of respect to the civilian lives lost in the battle but also partial denial, them not wanting to accept that so much damage had been done, physically and mentally. It was always simpler to ignore it.

"Lady Une, we've arrived at the L2 colony, we're heading out to our ride now. We'll keep you posted." Wufei offered to call her, the others distracted by the personal severity of this mission.

"_Alert me upon locating the headquarters and before you send the others in._"

"Understood." He hung up the phone as he saw a man in a Preventers uniform approach them, knowing this was who they were to contact. He was average height, sandy blond hair with mocha colored eyes.

He had a smile on his face as he greeted them. "Gentlemen, welcome. I hope you're ready and rested for your impromptu mission today."

Duo shook his hand. "Well, things like this we have to act fast. The most we've done is go over the plan countless times on the trip over."

The man smiled. Duo could tell he was a genuinely sociable man. He knew how far being talkative got you with the majority of his comrades. Seeing a fresh, friendly face was a relieving change from the typical stoic masks he was used to seeing. "I'm Duo Maxwell. Nice to meet ya', Mister…" He trailed off, punctuating his sentence with a question mark. He still did not know the officer's name.

The man had a briefly horrified look on his face, before finally introducing himself. "How rude of me, I've not even introduced myself yet. I'm Captain Tony Roederer, leader of the L2-V07835 colony's Preventers unit."

Duo introduced the rest of his teammates, pointing each one as he ran down the short list. Heero was the last named, which caused Tony to noticeably stiffen.

For a short period of time, the media probed Heero and Relena's relationship, claiming the detached bodyguard and the princess of peace were involved in a secret relationship. It was what they both wanted. One was just reluctant to admit it, due to some inane understanding of responding to emotions and the other was far too shy in that department to confront him on it. It was a vicious cycle. Heero, though he obviously hated it, disregarded his newfound notoriety. His sole duty dedicated to protecting her. It was one of the greatest shocks the world had ever heard when she died.

This instance was no different than before, he was going to ignore the noting gazes and focus entirely on this mission. Distractions were unnecessary.

Tony found his voice again. "Right, the convoy is right around the corner." They were lead to the three black MTVRs with accents of army green, the golden abstract "P" emblem gracing the sides told that they were Preventers' personal vehicles.

A low whistle escaped Duo's lips. "These babies are nice."

Tony playfully tapped the side of the roaring machine, a smile on his face. "Top of the line. They will get you where you need to be, over any obstacle that may come. Nothing stops these guys."

The agents and captain climbed into their massive transports, strapping in and preparing for the ride. The truck revved and the line of cars pulled away from the curb into the sparsely populated street. Tony pulled out a tablet computer, tapping the screen with the stylus. "The coordinates Commissioner Une messaged me were 40°11′N, 58°24′E. It's not exact, I'm also told. It only gets you within an approximate twelve-mile radius of where you need to be. It's in The Graveyard."

"A graveyard? I thought it was just bare acreage." Quatre voiced, curious of where they were going to be venturing for this mission. He would be apart of this come hell or high water, but he did not feel particularly comfortable turning over gravesites.

The captain sighed, a grief befalling his typically elated features. "No, it's a place we now call The Graveyard. After the massacre in 187, the people here were fearful. We were lucky to have not contracted the virus outbreak from V08744 earlier that year but when this happened, it drove the so many people to cower so much that they eventually ignored the disaster completely. As the years progressed and people started to accept it more, it received the name The Graveyard. But people don't go over there too often. They still try to forget."

"It's easier to ignore the pain." The monotone voice of the Prussian eyed man filled the truck. His voice was low, nearly inaudible. Heero understood exactly how these people felt after they faced a distressing loss. It was something he still battled with. When ignoring it on his own got too difficult, that's when he started drinking because for just the shortest moment, it alleviated that pain, those memories.

Tony nodded his head, watching the aloof man. "That's exactly right." He ran a hand through his blond hair, a nervous habit. "But that ignorance we held to it is what got us into this mess."

Duo quirked an eyebrow at that statement. "What mess?"

"This mess." Tony gestured awkwardly with his hands, circling them and mutely trying to imply the small colony that was his responsibility. "Bringing you out here to where some peace-destroyers are hiding out. It's a place of even more ruin than we initially thought." He huffed, getting heated with the subject. He had been trying to maintain his calm ever since he was notified of what was happening and the precautions there were to be taken. "It's a disgrace knowing such an atrocity has been going on right under our noses here. It's a typically quiet place, people get along – not much bad happens here. When Commissioner Une called and briefed me, I was shocked. We all were."

The six men fell silent, a thick tension hung in the air. There was not much they could think to say at that moment. A lot of what happened here years before alluded to what they had to cope with these past two years. Each person in the vehicle knew how it felt.

The newest member of the group cleared his throat. "It will be about two hours before we're there, I suggest getting some rest. You'll need it."

* * *

Heero's heart was pounding relentlessly in his chest. He had never before felt so nervous for a mission. He tried to tell himself that this was no different than before but it did nothing to calm his erratic nerves. His exterior remained composed, his eyes closed, body relaxed and his neck lolling slightly during the bumpy right. It was the closest to relaxation he could get. He relished the hush.

They were ninety miles out of the city now. Driving up to the bleak land gave the pilots an unsettling feeling. Though the battle that took place here was before they were involved, they were a part of the same war. Now it felt as if they had to do it all over again.

It was obvious that this portion of the populated space station did not see much traffic. Through the desolate space, they could see through the horizon for miles just the obliteration that had been done – deteriorated remains of mobile suits, collapsed buildings, destroyed homes. It was eerie. These nescient people had been caught in a battle; in a war they wanted nothing to do with. So many innocent were lives lost.

"Our destination is twenty miles away." Tony's firm voice broke the silence, jolting the agents from their respective reposing. "You have a lot of searching to do, so prepare yourself." He looked out the window of the vehicle, the dirt kicking up under the rotating tires and the dust floating away behind them.

Tony's gaze fell to his lap, the crestfallen demeanor he had been clenching onto perceptible on his features. He had maintained this disposition since the subject came up. "I lost my older brother during that battle."

The small group became curious of why he voiced such a personal memory to people he was not well acquainted with.

He smiled and halfheartedly laughed. "Sorry, it's just I know what it's like, what you're dealing with – what you're doing." His eyes fell on Heero, the seemingly emotionless man's gaze cast sideways. "It takes a lot to face those demons."

Trowa's eyes were closed, his arms crossed over his chest. He had not said much since their meeting. It was not uncharacteristic of him but Tony did not know this man longer than two hours. "A lot of people know how it feels." Trowa opened his eyes, looking at the officer. "We don't want people to know it anymore."

"That's why taking these guys out is such a priority." The blond pilot's spoke, his typically soft voice firm. "That isn't how we want the world to be anymore."

Tony grinned, the light in his eyes returning. "Your words and your actions are commendable."

The next ten minutes consisted of the team reviewing their tactical plan. A precise set up was hard to devise considering they did not have the blueprints to the structure they knew they were looking for. They had to make due with the amount of knowledge they had, keeping up with the plan as well as possible upon infiltrating the base. They had only one chance to recover the information needed to keep from a false defamation. A prompt attack while causing bringing no attention to them was the most significant factor in this play. The smallest slip up could spook the enemy into an immediate dispersal of the fabricated intelligence.

The team of five strapped on their bulletproof vests, securing them tightly to their chests, preparing for a possible firearm attack. They loaded the clip into their handguns, keeping the safety on until they exited the confined space of their transportation. They each secured two extra clips on their holsters, belted around their waists. Their headsets were on, testing the frequency to ensure contact in the event of an emergency.

The truck rolled to a halt, slightly jolted its busied passengers. "We'll be close when you're ready to evacuate. Check the area for an entrance point and stay safe in the meantime." Tony announced as he pushed the door open for the five men to climb out of the truck.

"As soon as we come to an entrance, Quatre and I will be back. We have a tracking device on Trowa, Duo and Heero to trace where they're going and to get a general, graphic idea of the base's structure." The Chinese man informed the captain before he gracefully jumped from the car.

Wufei jogged the short distance to his comrades, drawing his weapon and switching off the safety as the rest them had already done. Wufei scanned their surroundings, looking for any minute signs of disturbance to the normally untouched wasteland.

"Let's split up, to cover more ground. Don't travel too far from each other, I want to keep us all in each other's sights until we reach our destination." Wufei's instructions were followed as the team went in separate directions.

The desert like area looked less residential and more like a previously flourishing industrial district. The large iron chunks that previous guarded the infrastructure to factories and warehouses were scattered amongst the mess of demolished mobile suits. Access points were seldom encountered, every door there opened leading to nothing but a pile of rubble left in the war's wake.

The group had traveled three miles, brushing the ground for secret doors, overturning pieces of metal and venturing into every ruined building they encountered. The only thing they found was devastation and the skeletons of structures past decimated.

Duo's voice crackled through the others' earpieces. "_Team, I may have found something. Get to my location._"

He was easy to spot and the group ran towards him, not relinquishing a second to get to him. "What is it, Duo?" Quatre asked as he stepped right next to the pilot, following his gaze towards the seemingly useless building. It stood on only one and half walls, the majority nearly entirely destroyed in the battle that waged here two decades ago.

"Just look at it." Duo plainly stated.

Heero had already noticed what Duo was referring to and was already making his walk along the edge of it, carefully following the angle of the demolished wall with his eyes, he could see three hundred yards in its direction another warehouse.

What the others did not notice straight away was that part of this building had not been destroyed twenty years ago. The debris had a different consistency than that of most all the others they had observed. It was not the most noticeable of factors and it could mean nothing but there was always a chance that it was a signal to something more. Some hidden bases relied on annihilated structures and the angles the walls fell in to be located by the personnel. It was virtually imperceptible. But with Heero's focused eye he was picking up every usually inscrutable detail.

"_Heero, where are you going?_"

"To check something. You guys wait there." He was walking up to the building, his gun poised and at the ready as he scrutinized the edge of the wall, looking for any signs of disturbance. He held his gun steadily as he dropped his arms in front of him, standing at the side of the door as he quietly pushed it open with his free hand.

There was nothing.

He cautiously stepped inside, his gun swinging in front of him. He walked amongst the scattered wreckage, prepared to attack, looking for any cues that read people have been present. His heart was racing, pounding relentlessly against his ribcage. His breathing was getting harder to manage as he grew more anxious.

Heero dropped his arms in front of him, disappointed. "Dammit." He growled, turning to leave. "False alarm, there's nothing here. I'm heading back to your position."

"_Copy that._"

He was about to exit before he noticed something in his peripheral vision, turning his head to get a better view of it. The slab of metal pressed up against the wall had originally appeared as nothing more than that but the angle he saw it at now drew his suspicious. His firearm was at the ready again, taking inaudible, wary steps.

"_What's the hold up, man?_" Duo's voiced echoed in his ear but he paid it no mind, his focus was on the metal chunk pressed to the wall. He lowered his piece, pressed his hand against the cool exterior of the thick metal, sliding his hand to the edge, tracing the length of its side. At the ground, he brushed his fingers along the bottom of it.

Did he feel a breeze?

Absently trying to gain a better feel, he pushed a rock to the side and he heard a near silent click, his ears cracking with the resonance.

Suddenly there were people in the room with him and he spun around promptly, pulling his gun on the intruder, expecting it to be the enemy.

"Whoa! Heero, buddy! Relax, it's just us. We didn't see you so we were just making sure nothing happened." Duo's hands were up in mock defense. He could not believe his friend had gotten so startled.

Without saying a word, Heero holstered his gun and gripped his fingers on the edge of the metal, palms on its surface. He braced his feet and gathered his strength. He began pulling on the metal.

The four watched from their position in front of the door as their comrade pulled with every fiber of his being on the object they deemed a piece of junk. They were shocked when the metal slide soundlessly along the wall, revealing a shadowy stairwell once concealed so precisely behind it. The stoic man let loose a heavy sigh, from the exertion and the pride he felt.

He looked down the concrete stairway, the second door below barely viewable from the sparse amount of natural light flooding into the room. An approximate estimate was that the level was two flights down on a normal scale, the breeze he felt being from the filtered air conditioning that they needed to breathe so much beneath the surface. There was no telling what or who was behind that door but Heero knew it was where they needed to go. Heero could not tear his gaze from the darkness, the feeling it left him with being unshakable.

This led to the people who killed her, who stole her away from him.

Wufei had alerted Tony that they found the entrance and instructed him to call Une. Quatre and Wufei left the building, going to their post now that they discovered the headquarters.

The three agents were left standing at the top of the stairs, Heero having a hard time making his move. He wanted this – he needed this.

Duo put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We have a mission to complete."

Heero's dark eyes turned to look at the braided man. Duo had a malicious smile on his face, obviously ready for their next move. Heero looked to Trowa, who gave him a curt nod, his way of saying it was time to move.

Heero took one last deep breath before he began his trek down the shadowy steps, his partners right behind him. The stairwell seemed even longer in Heero's mind, knowing what it would take them to made time to move slowly. Every footfall seemed to echo desolately throughout the narrow corridor, his nerves still taking a strong hold of him.

They were three stairs from the door when they paused, preparing themselves for what lay beyond.

This is it.

That was the only thing running through Heero's mind as he took the final steps down and the second metal doorway slid open.


	6. What Is and What Should Never Be

_Note_: A bit of editing in this chapter!

* * *

_That's the Way_

_Chapter 6_

_What Is and What Should Never Be_

Duo padded swiftly around another corner, his eyes peeled for any sign of a guard. They had infiltrated the base for close to ten minutes ago and to not see a single human life anywhere was atypical to say in the least. That was not the strangest thing he noticed about this place. The bewildering labyrinth came with an abundance of oddities. He would open steel doors that opened to a wall and would climb short flights of stairs that only led to a ceiling. He would enter one room, venture through another door into a corridor to another room. These rooms were completely empty and dimly lit, seeing with the naked eye near impossible. It was a bizarre place and it felt eerily like he had unwittingly wandered into an alternate reality.

He came to another door and twisted the handle cautiously, suspicious of what may greet him at the other side. He pushed the door open only a foot before it halted, a thud resonating in his ears. He looked around, ensuring there was no one within the vicinity who could have heard that. He edged into the narrow room, hoping to be met with something of worth. He pushed the door shut, the space going entirely black without the hallway's light. His fingers quickly brushed the wall, searching tactility in the darkness. Upon finding nothing, he went back to the door and reached for the handle. His hand bumped into the cool metal, his fingers grasping nothing.

There was no handle from this side.

"Crap…of all the times to not have a flash light." He muttered under his breath as he clawed at the edge of the doorway. "There has to be another way out."

Duo took two steps back, displeased with his entrapment in such a small space with no source of light. He reached his hand up to the cord hanging near his neck from his earpiece. He pressed the small button, allowing him to speak into the device. "Wufei. I'm a little bit stuck at the moment."

"What do you mean 'stuck?'"

Duo edged backward, closing the small distance between him and the bricked wall. He slid down slowly, sighing. "This isn't a trick question."

"I'll notify Trowa to find you."

"Roger that. Tell him good luck with that. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. Out."

* * *

Quatre studied the tangled lines that were supposed to be their schematics for the underground base. It was difficult trying to make sense of the structure when it looked like their comrades were only walking in unpredictable directions at every moment. The space was incredibly sinuous and having to navigate through this capricious structure, even with a map at hand, would prove to be arduous.

"This is so peculiar." Quatre announced, scrutinizing the tablet computer. Tony averted his attention to the blond from his previous tasks of documenting their findings. "At first I thought it was a mistake, that there was a glitch in the program, but after running a quick troubleshoot, this is the actual map of the headquarters. It is the weirdest thing."

Wufei's voice entered the vehicle. "It's also unusual that zero guards have been reported."

"What kind of place is this?" Tony's voice echoed over them, perplexity etched on his face. "I've heard of structurally complex labyrinths but this…this is something else."

"It's just another one of their tricks. These people have proved that they are to be reckoned with." They all knew the black haired man was correct. These people that had worked underground for so long, literally and figuratively, who essentially appeared from nothing but a cloud of dust, were now Preventers' priority number one. They are unmistakably a group to be taken critically. This faction gaining power would be disastrous and the stability of the government of the Earth and the colonies is in the balance. Preventers' needed to tread lightly to protect the people.

"Trowa, Duo is trapped in a room on the east side of the base. Quatre is sending his position to your PDA. Help him out and travel together from this point. Do you copy?"

"_Copy that._" Trowa responded.

The Arabian messaged the of Duo's trail to him, hoping that he would be able to get to their comrade in time to avoid any potential threat of detection.

"_Wilco. On the move. Over and out._"

Tony eyed the map on the handheld computer. "Here's to hoping he doesn't get trapped anywhere either."

Quatre nodded in mute agreement, knowing it would risky sending their last solider their way, deviating from their task's path. "We can't afford to lose this mission."

* * *

Heero's steps were cautious, already wary of the jokes this outlandish place was capable of. He'd almost been caught in three rooms, opened two doors to solid walls and was nearly lost in a trap door. It was like a strange dream that he could not escape from until his initial undertaking was complete. At this tedious rate however, he felt like it would never come to be. He was kept unwaveringly perceptive of his surroundings but moving slow was not a part of their game plan.

He heard that Duo had gotten locked in a room minutes before, he wanted to curse the braided man for allowing himself to get caught like that. He could not blame him though, considering this entire structure was like a trap. It was unlike anywhere they had been before. His main concern came was that if no one was aware of their presence before, they likely were now.

His back to the wall, gun poised and ready, he listened intently for any on coming guards. It was silent. He turned the corner sharply, pointing his gun, his senses on high alert. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through him, this feeling having been lost on him for too long.

He could not deny the thrill that took over him at feeling the cool metal in his hand again, the weapon feeling foreign in his grasp but appropriate. He would not describe himself as a killer in this day but he was still an agent. This is who he was, who he was trained to be since a child. The rush he felt when on a mission was exhilarating and ignoring his self for this long sent his body reeling. Finally being back where the action is was all he needed to feel like him again.

The gun was aimed forward, his gaze piercing and vision sharp. The fire he felt inside him made him want to bolt around every corner but he could not risk that in this place. He felt like he was in the Minotaur's lair, the labyrinth that it called home. If he did not know any better, he would say this place was a lost epistolary of_ Heroides_. It was winding and foreboding and he felt that one false move could be his last.

His earpiece buzzed with a pending message. It was Quatre. "_Heero, what's your status_?"

"All clear. It's been silent since I separated with Duo and Trowa."

"_Any updates_?"

His brow furrowed, quickly tracing his short-term memory for any potential leads that he could share. He did not care for the only answer he had. This was a precarious setting and even more rare occurrence. "I'll get back to you on that. Out."

For now, it would have to suffice. He did not like having an appropriate answer and he still had plenty of time to turn up with something.

Around another corner he went, ambling around the curved corridor. His arms crooked, his piece erect next to his head. His guard was not down. The lack of guards only increased his edge rather than suppressed it. It was far too suspicious.

For a number of minutes, he wove through the boggling hallways, wondering if he had passed these areas prior but uncertain. He leaned against a wall, opting for a brief rest to gather his bearings and contemplate how he would continue his charge. Deep eyes glanced around his surroundings, deciding which direction to take from this four-way intersection.

"Dammit." It escaped him as a breathy sigh, the exasperation resounding through the void halls. As much as he hated to admit it, he was beginning to believe that this situation hopeless. He did not even know if he would ever be able to track his way out of here. He slid down the wall and leaned his head back, closing his eyes.

He felt like he failed her all over again.

Looking at his gun, with a click and a firm hit, the clip slipped out and dropped heavily in his hand. His first notion was to throw it, mindlessly venting his anger. He twisted it in his grip, examining the metal. His gaze then switched to the triggering device and back to the clip. Without thinking, he slammed the weapon back together, determination reigniting in his eyes.

At that moment he decided this was not going to be a lost cause.

He was on his feet again and trudged forward, he refused to give up on her so easily. He had only ever fought this long for her. Letting go when he had finally made progress, when he was this close would be crass and selfish. She had never quit on him, she never would.

A narrow passage to his right caught his attention and he turned down it. Though the entire structure was dim, this hallway saw even less light. He nearly missed another turn, the opening being shrouded in shadows.

Heero padded his way down, keeping his gun aimed and ready. He was hunched forward, using the darkness as his cover. He was perfectly skilled at being invisible. Any incomers would never see him until he was already attacking; he was nearly lost on the camera's eyes.

Through the black, he could barely make out the raised edge of the metal against the brick wall. He pressed his hand to it and the slight shift under the pressure confirmed he found a keypad. He traced his finger along the smooth material, noting that it only had one button and what he assumed to be a touch screen.

When he brushed his fingers over the thin screen, it lit up with a faint glow as the colored specs danced across the screen.

Unsure of what to do and not wanting to risk alerting anyone to his position, he stared at the contraption, thinking. He did not have the tools necessary to dismantle the small machine and he did not have the space to use a bullet to malfunction the device. Hacking was not an option, as he did not have access to a computer capable of overriding the complex sequences common in these types of pass codes.

He needed to know what was hiding behind this door and he refused to turn around. He was fully capable of handling himself if he were to be discovered. This doorway being a trap was something he was willing to risk.

Without a second thought, he tucked his gun back into its holster and pushed the button.

The specs swirled into a circle and slid across the length of the screen, disappearing into the edge. The moments seemed to melt past slowly as he anticipated the sound of any alarm alerting him to his dreaded failure.

He took a half step backward as he heard the hushed click and the door was released from its confinement. Heero was not sure if he should be concerned by the ease of his entrance or of the possibility that there was a silent alarm sounding in the distance.

At the moment, he did not have time to stand and ponder.

The opened room before him was bright, the light shredding the dark space and shocking his eyes that had since grown accustomed to the dull fluorescents. He stepped inside quickly, the door snapping shut behind him immediately. Scanning the room, he noted its size to be bigger than any section he had been before. The only furniture to be found was one simple, feeble looking side table. On it sat a plain black plastic card. Straight before him was an additional door with another keypad. This one, however, had a magnetic stripe card reader in place of the touchpad.

He picked up the piece of plastic and looked at the back of it, detecting the reflective black stripe he was looking for.

He considered stepping back and requesting backup. As far as he could tell, there was only one way in and out of here.

Pushing his intrusive thoughts to the back of his mind, he pressed the three buttons and swiped the card. He listened as the lock released and the door was freed, revealing another bleak room. Initially he thought he had ended up traveling in a massive circle, being lead directly back to a room he had since been in.

Heero walked inside slowly and scrutinized the small, dust-coated space. The air was stale and thick in the windowless room, irritating his lungs upon initial entrance. There was an old cot on the right side of the room with a grubby, ragged blanket strewn across it and a steel toilet occupied the opposite side the quarters. A stagnate bucket of water sat straight across from him, beneath a faucet that leaked slowly. His eyes stopped at the corner to his left.

His breath hitched and his heart raced. He found himself frozen, his feet seemingly made of stone. The thought occurred to him that time had stopped. Every part of him ached, skeptic on how to react at the instant he was in now.

Any thoughts he had before were now concentrating on only one, his mind unable to diverge from its single focus and him not wanting it to.

As rare an incident as it was, this moment could account for a lifetime of hourly shocks.

Heero found air again, just enough to pull a single word together. The name resounded, his voice seeming far away to him, as if it was not his own.

"Relena?"

* * *

Trowa studied his PDA, trying his best to pinpoint where exactly Duo was. The braided ex-pilot had gotten himself into trouble, which is not entirely a surprise to Trowa. He knew his comrade to be a superb agent but sometimes his rambunctious personality interfered with the tasks at hand. He had no contention aiding him when needed though. He owed him that much, afterall.

This place was a complicated mess. How anyone could find their way through it without a detailed map and precise directions was beyond Trowa. Weaving through the corridor, he found himself just beyond Duo's location.

The headset crackled to life, relaying the latest message from their surveying comrades on the outside. "_Trowa, you're at Duo's present position. Out._"

The emerald-eyed pilot knocked at the door. "Duo, can you hear me?"

"Sure can!" Duo's muffled yell squeaked through the metal door.

"Step back, I'm opening up the door for you." He pushed the door open and the entrapped agent hopped out promptly, his unhappiness written clear on his face. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the sudden assault of light.

Duo brushed himself off, his grin gracing his lips. "You have no idea how glad I am to be out of there." He had his thumb pointing over his shoulder to his temporary solitude, as if Trowa had not been aware of where he was trapped.

Trowa looked around, perplexity written on his characteristically stoic face.

"What is it, man?" Duo asked, his hand on his gun, ready to pull it upon threat.

"This place…we have not seen one guard anywhere since we've been here."

Duo stared at him, his muscles losing tension. "I know…we all already know."

The green eyed man turned to his friend, "And no alarms are going off? There are no security cameras? No computers? This place is built like a maze, lined with trapdoors and walls. Everything is peculiar."

Duo glanced either way, his furrowed brow giving away his confusion. "We're already aware of the quirks of this crazy place. What are you thinking, Tro?"

"This whole time we've been assuming this to be the headquarters for Imperium but this is not conducive for an H-Q."

"So what are you saying, Trowa? They made this entire…puzzle! Just for the hell of it? That it serves no function at all? It's just here to be here and confuse the life out of whoever happens to stumble across the vacant hideaway!" Duo's hands were flying every which way, expressing his words but better displaying his utter exasperation of this hellhole.

"No, it's not a headquarters or a base or an aimless hideout."

Duo quirked an eyebrow, the question in his slight expression changes.

"It's a prison."

"A prison?" The lighthearted pilot scratched the back of his head. "For who?"

Trowa looked his comrade straight in the eyes, silently answering his question.

"No, no, no. No way. I am not getting stuck anywhere in here again." He was adamant in the notion. This was the most unique place he had ever been in and he really had no desire to come back, or stay.

"We have to contact Heero. This mission is a dead end."

* * *

He did not need to ask who it was, Heero was well aware of the woman before him. What came out was a question of astonished disbelief spoken in that single word – that name.

Two years. For two years she was assumed dead. His hope had began to dwindle but he was sure to maintain just enough in trying to keep his sanity in check. A life without her was hard enough. But living in a world where he had to let go of her forever? It was an unbearable thought and there was no answer for it whatsoever.

He was well aware of the fact that he had succumbed to the darkness that lurked in his mind since her supposed death. His friends assumed him to be in a precarious state but he had always been there mentally. His emotional state had been shattered the day of the fire.

Remembering that day caused a subtle ache in both his heart and his shoulder.

And now here she was, right before him.

It was hard to believe that was her. Nothing about her looked like she did the last time he laid eyes on her.

Her blonde hair was a greasy, matted mess, knots tangling the long, golden locks. Her brilliant cerulean eyes lost their sparkle, their now dingy depths marred with trauma and fear. Dark circles encompassed her typically bright eyes. Her pale skin lost its glow and she appeared sickly, unnaturally lifeless. Deep purple stained the pasty flesh of her emaciated frame. She had always been thin but now she looked so frail, as if the most gentle of touches would shatter every bone in her body.

Heero was livid. His anger was boiling beneath the surface, infuriated that anyone would dare lay a harmful hand on her. It was disgusting and he wanted to find the perpetrator and tear him to shreds.

But he would not let his fury reach the exterior. The only thing he could look at was her.

A faint ghost of who she used to be but she was alive.

He wanted so much to hold her close to him but the fear of hurting her held him back. She looked so broken and helpless. She had always been so strong and here today, during this very moment, she looked so weak.

"You…" Her voice eked out, barely a whisper. For a moment, Heero saw her eyes light up but as quickly as it came it faded, replaced by dread and suspicion. "You're not real…it's a lie. It's always a lie!" Her eyes grew glassy, welling with tears waiting to fall.

His worry rose as her voice did, it gaining the momentum she was looking for, trying to sound as forceful as possible through her raspy voice.

"Relena, it's me." He tried to coax her to relax. "It's Heero."

"They always say you're coming. Then they spit in my face!" Her voice was wavering, trailing off to the meek whisper it was before. "They never tell the truth. Every time it's a lie." The tears finally spilled over, her eyes no longer able to hold them back.

"I'm here, Relena. This is real." He took a tentative step forward.

She flinched.

"I will save you. Just trust me." He held his hand out for her to take; trying to let her take the time she needed but knowing they did not have enough. "Please trust me."

"Heero…?"

She held her gaze to his calloused hand, apprehension sinking in. Long, timid fingers quivered in the air mid-reach.

Suddenly she jumped back, the anger returning, and her voice increasing. "Why didn't you look for me?"

Heero did not know how to respond. He waited for the outburst to pass, silent with nothing to say.

"You should have known!" She pointed an accusing finger at him, not knowing what else to do in this situation. He was supposed to find her, she always said he would and after three months, she gave up hope. The men who controlled her knew this, making a mockery of her words. They would tease her, saying Heero was on his way to rescue her only to find out it was a lie and they would laugh at her. She was emotionally broken, any faith she once held was taunted out of her by her vindictive captors.

How come he did not know to look for her?

"Relena…I'm sorry." He was truly apologetic, his regret consumed him for two years and at this very instance, he thought it would destroy him completely. He would not let it faze him at this moment though. He needed to save her. He promised he would protect her and he was going to. He would be damned if he did not.

He heard the soft echo footsteps down the hall, heading for the pair at this moment. He panicked, not wanting her to face anymore hurt. He could see the fear in her eyes, the anxiety in her features, how rigid her body was. "Relena, stay back. Get to the corner and stay low." His eyes locked with hers and he wished so much that he could cup her face in his hands. "I will keep you safe."

She nodded and moved to the corner of her dungeon, crouching down as she was told to, shielding her body with her slender, frail arms. She knew Heero would protect her.

Heero watched her as she secured herself in the corner, wrapping her arms around her legs. The more she moved around, the more bruises he saw tainting her body. He was irate. Thinking about the pain she endured felt like a knife stabbing in his heart and being mercilessly twisted.

He was irate and would let the bastards coming around the corner know that. Those people would suffer for what they did her.

Bracing himself for the imminent attack, he glanced over at Relena. She was shaking wildly in the corner, her eyes wide and pupils dilated. The terror of her returning captors was scarred on her face. He watched as she pulled tighter into herself. Even when he was right here with her, the fear that they would again harm her still gripped her like a vice. He began to wonder if it would ever let her go.

The closer they got, the worse her fear grew.

He softened for a moment, quickly contemplating a new tactic to get her safely out and away from these people without further traumatizing her.

"Relena." He whispered. She looked at him, a brief reprieve from her dread. "It's going to be okay. Trust me."

She stared silently, shaking in herself.

"Trust me." His voice was soft and his eyes were gentle with understanding. "_Trust me_."

The fear written on her face lessened and a small fire burned in her eyes. Her mind started processing information better and it dawned on her.

_Heero is here._

She nodded to him, certain that the man she loved would protect her with his life. She was scarred, frightened and aching but she still had enough in her to have faith in Heero.

The men were closing in on Relena's prison cell.

"Where are you, my little Princess?"

She shivered and Heero tensed, furious at them taunting her like that. She was only his and no one would ever claim her as their own. Ever.

As soon as they walked in, Heero pounced on them with the elegance and ruthlessness of a hungry jaguar. Plowing into the side of the larger man, he managed to disorient both of them. One from the brunt of his momentum and the other from the surprise of an attack from what he first believed to be their petite, blonde captive. With a swift motion, Heero swung a fist into the temple of the shocked man, knocking him into the wall. He slipped down, limp and unconscious.

As soon as he was down, Heero was on the next man who realized it was not Relena executing such a vicious assault but instead an unknown agent, the rescuer to their precious and rightfully stolen property. The guard made a reach for his handheld radio, trying to turn to escape, seeing more logic in alerting his commanders rather than fighting a potentially losing battle.

However he was not quick enough, as the trained attacker was bringing a hard kick to his chest, ramming him into the doorframe, causing the radio the drop to the ground, rendering it useless for the desperate security guard.

Heero wrapped his hand around the man's throat, lifting him from the ground and restricting his airway. He clawed helplessly at Heero's tight grip but it was a futile attempt. Heero waited until the man stopped kicking, leaving him out cold, but alive. He did promise Relena he would never kill again and he would stay true to his word, as much as he did not want to at this moment.

He let go, the guard falling to the ground in a heap of defeat. Heero wasted no time in grabbing their radios, ensuring they would not be able to contact anyone upon awakening and he turned to check on Relena.

His heart dropped. She looked petrified, curled and quivering in her corner. It did not take him long to realize that he should not have handled the situation in the manner that he did. His options were limited with the small timeframe they had, there was not much else he could have done.

He knelt down in front of her, extending a calloused hand towards her, wanting to touch her but not wanting to startle her. He would wait for her calm, though time was not on their side.

Slowly she began settle, each second melting slowly past them. Her eyes focused, registering Heero and the safety he would undoubtedly provide her with.

"He-Heero…" Her voice was a hoarse whisper, barely audible.

"I'm here."

She looked at his hand, unsure of what to do at that moment.

Finally her dull, broken eyes locked into his desperately hopeful orbs, the lost trust finding its way into her shattered mind. Without a word or a falter, she slipped her frail, thin hand into his rough, scarred one and he curled his fingers tenderly around her hand. The whole world seemed to fall away. There was no prison, no hurt, no suffering, no loneliness. She was never taken away, they were never separated. He did not spend two years thinking her dead and she never spent two years believing she would die alone in this dungeon. For a moment, everything in this world was right.

The instant could not last long. Her safety was still in jeopardy and it was still his duty to protect her.

Reluctantly he broke their gaze and stood, gently lifting her light frame after him. "I need to get you out of here."

She nodded meekly, thirsting so anxiously for freedom from this prison.

Heero grabbed his radio, pressing the button to reach Trowa. "Trowa, we need to get out of here immediately. Are you clear? Over."

Trowa's voice crackled through. "_Affirm. All clear here. Wilco, we're out. This place is a dead end. We'll start more research tomorrow. Over_."

"Not a dead end. Relay to Wufei. Encountered two guards. I have Relena. We're leaving. Clear." Before Trowa could offer a response, Heero shut his radio off. Relena looked at him, silently pleading for them to leave. He understood and complied wordlessly, her hand still firmly but gingerly in his.

* * *

Duo and Trowa stood baffled in the hallway, questioning if they had heard Heero's transmission correctly. Before Trowa could request a repeat, he was off the channel and unreachable.

Bewilderment was written clearly on Duo's face as he slowly processed the newly received information. "Did he really just say he has Relena? I mean, I know the guy has been a little off the past few years but this would be a whole new level of crazy for him."

"We'll do as he says. I'll contact Wufei and we'll head out. We will meet Heero out front with the others. Let's go." Trowa turned, bringing his radio up to his mouth, beginning to walk to their puzzling path to the exit.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Duo brought his hands up to Trowa's radio, cutting him off before he could send their newest message, halting him in his place. His face was back to its usual stern features. "Why are you so calm? Heero just said he was with _Relena_ and you're acting all ho-hum!"

"The mission isn't over yet. We have to get out of here – and her out safely. There will be time for questions later. Right now, we just need to move."

* * *

Quatre felt the tears fall from his eyes, a hand of relief pressed firmly to his heart as a shaky exhale slipped out of his moist lips. He had always been the most expressive emotionally out of the group, but he was positive that everyone felt the same way he did at this moment. They just expressed it differently.

Relena was alive. The light of their darkness, the so pure and innocent angel that graced their undeserving presence, the one who knew well of all that they did and still loved each and every one of them despite that. She was the person that made them feel like they still had a purpose in this world after the war was over. She was more precious to them than their words could express but their actions had always shown.

Duo was adamant to make them believe that that was what Heero had last said to them and these were their orders. At first Quatre thought his ears were deceiving him but Duo said that is exactly what their comrade said and they are to follow through with his command. With a few confused inquiries and brief moments of stunned silence, the information was fully grasped and now Quatre sat here in grateful shock for knowing one of his closest friends was, in fact, alive.

Shaking himself loose from the clutches of astonishment, he examined the other passengers in the vehicle. All were silent, in shock and unsure how to respond in this situation.

Relena Dorlain Peacecraft, presumed dead two years, was very much alive.

As happy a moment as it was, it was also a dreary one. They could only imagine what she endured in that time until they saw her and until she was comfortable enough to tell them.

Wufei told them to do as Heero said and they would wait for them in the convoy. They would track their position on the tablet computer and contemplate their plan of action from this point on. With Relena, they would need to make a few major adjustments to their plan.

Duo and Trowa banged on the door and Tony pushed it open for them. They climbed in, greeting their comrades. They took their seat, feeling relaxed being out of that labyrinth.

Trowa crossed his arms and legs, closing his eyes. "This place proved more useful than I had ever imagined. Though, the problem still remains with those documents. If they are released, there will be riots across the colonies and the earth. People will lose faith in the Preventers Unit."

"We won't let that happen." Wufei stated plainly.

"And now that we know Relena is alive, the people will have to have a shadow of a doubt about them if they are ever released." Duo chimed in, a grin on his face. "Let the bastards reveal them. They will just look like the liars that they are."

Quatre's voice was low, laced with worry. "Things are about to get really hectic for Relena…I just hope she's ready for it."

* * *

The pair rounded another corner, the man's arm upright, gun aimed and ready. His other arm reached behind him, his hand holding on to a delicate, bruised one. The woman let the man lead as he held onto her hand, her other arm trailing behind her as they ran. During breaks for him to make a quick sweep of the area and to let her rest for a moment, she would huddle close to his back, her other hand coming up to clutch tightly onto his strong arm. She felt safe, the closer she was to him, the safer she felt. The tighter she held on to him, the more she never wanted to let go.

This was real.

Heero gently squeezed her hand to let her know they were moving again and off they ran. There had not been any more guards since the last two back at Relena's once was cell. He was glad for that because that meant he did not have to let go of her at all. He did not want to.

Despite the strange pang in his heart and the strong desire he had to stop and look into the eyes he had missed so much, he kept his run. His senses alert and muscles tensed, ready for any threat. A fire of life burned inside him, reignited with a newfound strength. He finally felt his once was become again.

The two bounded through the maze, Heero recollecting every turn made and every step taken. He was going to get her out of here and if things kept at this pace, they would be out in minutes.

He stopped them again and turned to her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded her tentatively, an unconvincing gesture. Clearing her dry throat, she rasped, "I…I hurt a bit."

Heero did not have time to get angry at the people who hurt her as a piercing roar ripped through the corridor, echoing off the walls and reverberating painfully against their eardrums. Relena gasped and crouched to the floor, startled, terrified.

The agent scanned his surroundings quickly and reached down and grabbed the scared woman's wrist. "We have to get out of here."

"They're coming for me." She whispered, her eyes vacant and welling with tears. Heero's heart stung as he watched the tears fall down her flushed cheeks.

"They will _not_ take you away. Not again." With that promise, he lifted her from the ground and pulled her with him, running to the only place he knew as their exit. It was just a little further.

Heero's trained ears picked up the sound of clamoring footsteps, a group of people running towards them. They were still behind a ways and they could still make it to the doorway easily.

The duo turned their last corner to their exit. The voices were getting louder, closer. Wasting no time, Heero slammed his hand against the unsophisticated lock pad.

"Heero, they are so close. We won't make it."

"We will."

The door slid open as the group of men came around the corner, their weapons at the ready. Relena froze, petrified of her abusers being so near her. _We were so close…_

Heero grabbed the terrified girl by the wrist and charged up the stairs.

He heard the men yelling commands to "shoot them down," which only motivated him to move quicker. He dropped behind her, so he would take any damage that will likely come their way. He was curious as to why they did not follow them up the stairs. He looked back, seeing them aiming their guns for them, Heero pressed Relena's head low, her run slowing as she fumbled with having to run in such an awkward position.

Halfway up the stairs, he realized the walls were closing in on them. "Are you fucking kidding me?" He hissed under his breath.

The stairway was getting more and more narrow with every step they took and they were two thirds of the way up. The shots started to ring out, ricocheting off the dense walls, whistling past their heads.

"Heero, we can't!" She heaved, running low on stamina and hope.

"We will. It's not much further."

The stairwell got so narrow, they had to run sideways, awkwardly clambering up the last few stairs. He reluctantly pushed Relena, her staggering quickly out, safe. He took the last few steps, feeling the walls beginning to apply pressure to his frame. _At least she's safe._

Unexpectedly he felt a small hands grip his arm tightly and yank him forward, Heero staggering and falling into the petite woman who he had just been the savior to. Her feeble frame could not hold up his body weight and she collapsed beneath it. He caught himself before he landed on top of her. He pushed himself back onto his knees instantly, his eyes scanning his entire body for fresh injuries.

He was going to get up and help her but he found himself captivated by her, life slowly beginning to return to her eyes. He could do nothing but stare at the damaged, broken beauty that lay beneath him. Even when so marred, she was still the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. It did not take him long to forget completely where he was.

Relena's lips were moving but he could not process any sound.

Relena was _alive_. She _is_ alive.

Then reality struck. They were still in danger. Without any hesitation, he was on his feet, lifting her after him and turning to run out of the rubble filled building. His movements were swift and his senses alert. Bursting out the door, both their eyes were assaulted with a bright sunlight, his eyes adjusted quickly and hers remained in pain, acclimated to the dimness of below. She had to keep her eyes shut, her running blind and being led by the man who she spent years longing for.

Heero charged up to the running vehicle, them waiting and ready to move out. He pulled the fragile girl in front of him and waited for her to open her eyes to look at him. She was squinting, her eyes watering from the brightness of the outside world. He gazed at her a moment, his eyes softening.

"You are safe now."

Then he reached over her and opened the door, helping her inside the raised truck. She replayed his words over and over in her head, the faintest of smiles reaching the corners of her dried, cracked lips. She was safe now. And it was all thanks to Heero. He rescued her. He protected her – as he promised he always would years ago.

The Prussian eyed man climbed in behind her, slamming the door shut and yelling for them to get moving. He took a seat in the silent car, between Relena and the window, further shielding her from danger.

All around the machine, eyes were wide. Staring in disbelief that the ex-Queen of the World was still alive. No one said anything; no one knew what to say.

Finally a glassy eyed Quatre leaned out of his seat and embraced the scarred woman. "We'll take you home."

It only took a couple minutes for Relena to fall asleep, exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally. For the first time in two years, she could rest easy without the fear of her captors lurking in the shadows, just beyond her room. She was still scared, but she was out of harm's way. Her head lolled to the side, her body angling itself to the man who found her and saved her life again.

Heero looked down, the blonde girl's head on his shoulder and hand on his leg, palm facing up and open. He did not hesitate and he slipped his hand in hers, squeezing it lightly.


	7. Swan Song

_Note:_ Happy reading!

* * *

_That's the Way_

_Chapter 7_

_Swan Song_

Une had barely slept in days. She was in a frenzy, trying to keep everything together as the previously deceased Relena Peacecraft was brought back to earth. Une thought it best if the team keep her private, do all they could to avoid the bustle of the media. They would have a field day once they found out the ex-Queen of the World was back from the dead. Une had not talked to Relena yet, but she was already picturing how traumatized she must be. She would try to shake that sad feeling as she remembered how strong of a young woman she had always been and hoped for the best that she still maintained that demeanor even despite the horrific kidnapping she has endured. Time will be key, as will her privacy.

She absently tapped her desk with the bottom of her pen, remembering the recent memory of Heero's call and the information he had to share about their mission. She expected to hear that they were successful in their endeavors and that they would be on their way back to her with the forged documents Initially she was infuriated that they had not successfully retrieved the files but as she reprimanded the entire team, Heero's low, steady voice stated the simplest but most unexpected of sentences: they found Relena, alive.

Une knew that Heero would never make a joke about such a thing, or in general, and she knew that he was well aware that she was not the joking type so it had to be the truth. But before she was ever given the chance to question him, the camera was turned on the sleeping princess – battered and malnourished, but still breathing. From what she could tell, she would make a full recovery physically. She did not have time to sit in her wonder as she needed to get organize a plan for them to get her back to earth unnoticed and completely invisible.

It was a simple enough task to shut down a portion of the spaceport on Colony L2-V07835, it was not located in a thriving metropolis as theirs was. For them to safely get Relena through would require them shutting down at least a third of the station, close off the entire west port. To achieve that feat at the last minute would require a mass of angry would-be travelers and cause a stir in the spaceport's annual gross, but the benefit outweighed the cost in this instance and she would go through with it as she decided. The blame was officially set against a malfunctioning shuttle and a small collision in a single dock. As a result, it set off a surge of errors in the computer readings, which presented an unsafe environment for travelling civilians. They had a last minute shut down for their safety – taking the precautions necessary so none are injured. It was believable enough but the CEOs were not pleased to hear about the required intervention of their income without a known legitimate reason. The excuse of a top-secret government project was beginning to wear, but they still could not refuse.

They would be arriving within the hour so everything had been set in motion. She was not surprised in the least at the uproar of travelers as they were told their flights were cancelled. She had her top agents in spaceport security uniforms and left them to be in charge of keeping the perimeter secure, not holding much faith in the security hired at the station. She brought in all the agents who were on the team of their initial discovery of the hidden information on Heero's security system. The ex-Gundam pilots were head of the team and the extraction of Relena but Mathias was brought in to lead the rest of the unit on earth until they touched ground.

Mathias was overlooking everyone in the west wing and the general surrounding area, quickly sweeping the screens as he ensured no curious eyes were attempting to catch a glimpse of the culprit of such disarray and aggravation to the station. Mathias had the pilots on headsets, constantly feeding them the necessary information for a seamless exit.

"Yuy, the perimeter is all clear. We are keeping a constant watch on it, men at every entrance. No chance of anyone getting through."

"_Just keep it that way_." Heero's rough voice buzzed through.

Mathias knew Heero was a stony individual. He could not imagine why he would not be. Completely war hardened as a child, seeing and dealing more death and destruction in twenty-one years than fifty people in fifty lifetimes and the death of one woman who he had held so close to him for four years. It was probably that much easier to shut it off than to let it all spill over.

But he was merely a silent observer in the distance, knowing things only by word of mouth. In recent years, he and Duo had worked some jobs together while Heero was on leave. The questions just came out and Duo, anxious to get it off his chest, would answer.

Some of the things he learned had him left in complete disbelief. _What a life,_ he thought.

Time moved quickly from that point, the pilots coming in for a landing at the empty port. Mathias relayed the necessary information to his team, the pilots all calculating the amount of time it would take to travel from the shuttle to the vehicle. Even in a controlled environment, there were additional factors to account for, any possible worst-case scenario. If they assumed their time constraints properly, then each sector could be appropriately cleared as they move through. This was an especially delicate situation and no mistakes could be made and none tolerated. This was why Une brought in the best, because she knew they could achieve the best.

The group moved quickly, exiting the pod and hasting through the station. Mathias had not thought the pilots to be lying about Relena's recent resurrection, but he had not realized his borderline disbelief until he actually saw the frail form of the Foreign Minister. Actually seeing her solidified in him that this was actually happening, that this was not a dream that his subconscious was playing for him. The simple fact that Commander Une entrusted him being a part of this mission was honoring enough. Being the leader of it validated all the hard work, the long hours, the work-related injuries – everything leading up to this moment was more worth it than he had imagined.

He watched silently as they continued on, relaxed but cautious, alert yet fatigued. This was the close of a long, exhausting operation.

Mathias guided them through, telling them the exact route to follow and the agents at their checkpoints provided them with maintenance crew jackets, hats and toolboxes. They were coming up on their exit, dressed in inconspicuous garb.

His breath was held as they were heading for the sliding glass door. For twelve yards, they would be out in the open. This was the compromising part where more was out of their control. They had sectioned off to keep the line of direction clear for the repair team, but there were still civilians and onlookers surrounding it. They could not have Relena be recognized under any circumstance. He watched as Relena's chin dropped toward her chest, Duo handing her a tablet for her to likely aimlessly tap at until they reached their transport. The men were on either side of her and the remaining in the front, keeping her face out of easy view without making it an obvious show that something was trying to be hidden.

Trowa opened the door of the van, motioning for the woman to climb inside and the men followed after.

Letting loose a long sigh of relief, Mathias leaned back in his chair. They were not done yet, but with so many factors out of their hands and things moving as smoothly as they had was encouraging. Though at the unit, there was more to go through, it was easier to manage and they could walk in and through with no strife.

"Alright, we're in the clear. Let's head back to H-Q." He yelled to the driver and slapped his hand flat against the wall dividing them. "Maxwell, how is she?"

"_She needs to get to the doctor. This entire trip was taxing on her and she needs a good long rest. But not before a thorough examination is done on her._"

"We'll be there in no time. Doctor Sally Po will be waiting for you on the forth floor. It is all secured and accommodations, though sparse, are all ready for her."

"_Perfect._"

* * *

Sally anxiously paced before the row elevators, her heels clicking in sync with her erratic heartbeat. She continued to glance at the screen that displayed the number floor the elevator was at. They were only moments away from her but today the contraption seemed to moving especially slow.

The high-pitched ding alerted her and she listened to the slow groan of the doors opening. It was easy enough to recognize the five men in the elevator but her eyes were on the young woman in the wheel chair. One who she knew well but her brain could not process the unrecognizable look of defeat on one she had previously known to be so strong.

She was fully expecting this to be difficult but her emotions were about to overtake her. All her years as a doctor, treating those she knew well, and this was the hardest moment she had ever faced. She hated to retreat to it but there was no other way for her to handle this moment. Pushing all emotion away, she barred herself against the intrusions. Fortunately her choice of profession has allowed her to automatically desensitize herself when she felt overwhelmed. Now more than ever she needed that skill.

"Follow me." Her voice was low and leveled as she turned promptly and headed to the examination room. The men followed, Quatre pushing her behind her and the others trailing behind.

"All of you will wait out here."

She shut the door on them without looking back.

The men were silent, finally able to let the notion sink in that they had found their missing princess.

"Gentlemen," Commander Une's voice cut through the silent corridor, "I would like to see you in my office in three hours. In the meantime, get some rest. I will tell you now that I want a full report on what happened, written by tomorrow night."

"Yes, Commander."

The group disbanded, going their separate ways until they were scheduled to join Une for their briefing. Each used the time to relax in their own way and were mentally organizing the series of events to document.

Heero was the last to enter the office. The discussion of their series of events had already begun. Une's eyes were fixed pointedly at him.

"Nice of you to join us, Heero. Please, take a seat."

He accepted, remaining silent. He did not join in the conversation until he was asked about Relena. He told them about his trek through the bunker, describing everything in vivid detail, not skimping on anything.

"It doesn't even sound like a place suitable for an animal." Quatre whispered, only learning of this the first time. The majority of the ride back Heero had been quiet, Relena sleeping safely next to him. They had asked him questions but he would not answer. It was the same shock that overtook him when they all thought they had lost Relena, so they waited until he was ready to answer. It was not until they had to discussion their mission on getting her out safely did he finally reanimate.

The conversation continued on to their return, Une jotting down certain notes. "The files I want from all of you will describe from the moment you left, to the moment you returned here. I want to hear of any discovery you made, anything that may not seem pertinent – write it down. I want to know every detail to draw us closer to these people. I want to know everything that went on as if I were seeing it through your eyes. Do you understand?" They all nodded. "Good." She sighed, placing the papers in her desk drawer and locking it. "Now, on the matter of Relena."

There was an obvious stiffening among the group, jaws tightening, muscles rigid. This was the sensitive part of their meeting that Une wished she did not have to discuss but it was unavoidable.

"I have already talked to Zechs about this, but now you must hear it." She cleared her throat, "Relena has been gone over two years. In that time, we don't know what happened. You have a vague idea just from seeing her as you had. It is no secret that there was physical abuse. I do not know much of these people so I do not know how far they would take that sort of treatment. She was clearly not living in the healthiest of conditions, but malnourishment is a given.

"At this moment, I cannot provide with you a full report on her immediate condition. I know for a fact that Sally is doing all she can to make her comfortable and she will not rest until she knows Relena is. But I need all of you," she paused to meet the eyes of every man in the room, "when the information gets to us, to be prepared to hear the worst. And when you do, contain those feelings. You cannot act rashly at this point in the game. We may not have all the cards but we still have the most chips. We have Relena now and she brings us one step closer. Any slip-ups could make these people hide deeper and it was already difficult enough to get this close to them. When the time comes, I want each and every one of you to channel those feelings of disdain and give them all you got. But at this moment, please, keep yourselves in check." She made it a point to give Heero the longest look, ensuring he know that this speech was being said to all but was mostly directed to him. "All of you get a full night's rest. Sally will not be giving her report to us until tomorrow morning."

Heero left the room, walking back to the Preventer Medical Center. He bypassed the forth floor as he walked up the stairs, looking for a quiet place to think while being the closest to her he could. It did not take him long to reach the roof of the building. He walked to the edge, only a thin, stout row of bricks lining the entire structure. He took in the view, relaxing.

The sun had since dropped behind the horizon. The moon was high and shining bright, the breeze pushing the night chill against his exposed skin. He looked at the city, the tall buildings reaching the stars, the unnatural lights mixing with that of nature's. He found the noise to be soothing, the sound of running vehicles, on the ground and in the air, the sirens of police cars, ambulances and fire trucks all coming together in a symphony of urban life.

Hours had passed since Heero had been standing there alone. He had barely moved, acting as a statue as he stared off into the night sky. The rest of the city had long ago gone to sleep, some already preparing for their new day of work. He examined his watch. It was four seventeen in the morning but he still could not bring himself to sleep.

He tensed as he heard the scratching of the metal door against the concrete but he did not turn around. He knew who to expect, he was always the first one to find him to check on him.

"Hey, man. You can't sleep either?" Duo said to him as he took a seat on the brick wall. He propped a leg up and rested an arm on it, his other leg dangling off the edge. He always seemed so relaxed. "I'm surprised you're up here. I thought for sure you would be waiting right outside her room."

The two sat in silence for a time, watching the night sky as they thought about the past few days. "She's going to be okay."  
"You don't know that."

"We saw her. Her injuries are manageable, Sally can have her back to new in no time."  
"Mentally, emotionally. I doubt she will ever be okay again."

Duo leaned back, looking at the other man. "She is stronger than that and you know it. She is way too stubborn to let them have that kind of satisfaction."

Heero turned his head, his dark eyes closing. "I let her down."

"You keep blaming yourself for something that was completely out of your control. You can't keep doing that, man."

"You didn't see her the way I did!" He turned abruptly, his voice sharp, cutting straight through Duo's optimism. Duo immediately jumped up from his seat, turning toward the other man.

"And so what if I had? Nothing changes the fact that she is damn strong enough to come back from this. She survived this far already. There is no reason she can't keep fighting now." Duo's voice was rigid, matching Heero's tone without raising his volume. He was trying to bring some sense into his closest friend without angering him.

"How would you feel? You think it's so easy to just shut it off. Two years. Two years I spent thinking her death was my fault. Now I have to spend a lifetime knowing I caused her all this pain. No one can turn that off."

"We all thought she was dead. There was no way you can have known."

Heero shook his head. "I should have known! I was responsible for her. It was _my_ security system that screwed up. It was me who was not there when I was supposed to be."

"If you were there, you would have been killed. You're no good to her dead."

Heero turned around taking a few steps away from his comrade. "I just needed to look. It was so simple. Everything I needed was right there in plain sight. I could have gotten to her so much sooner. But I was too ashamed of myself to even try, because I let her down. I promised I would never let anyone hurt her and now look at her." He ran an exhausted hand down his face. "I could have saved her but instead I left her to rot like some filthy animal. There was more I could have done for her. I should have done." His voice was calmed but pained, his guilt reaching its peak at this moment.

Duo could not think of anything to do but put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Heero, man, this isn't your fault. None of us checked. It was hard for all of us. There were so many people who could have checked but we just didn't. We didn't know what we could do. Every last one of us took a hard hit from it. I know it was hardest for you, but you still can't say this was your fault. You didn't do this. You didn't cause any of this. There was nothing that you could have done."

"Stop saying that!" Heero was livid, whipping around to face Duo. His resentment for himself was burning his skin as he seethed. "Do you honestly believe that? Why do you think it is so simple? I have heard it a thousand times from everyone and I don't buy that for one second, because she has been laying in some prison for years, traumatized and abused because _I_ messed up." His breaths were coming in deep heaves, his anger constricting his lungs. He looked down, the anger dissipating as quickly as it came. "Every way I look at it, it is my fault. And you continue to stand there and act like it wasn't. Indirectly, I caused this whole disaster and now she is the one suffering for my mistake."

The braided man stood in disbelief, unsure of how to comfort his friend. These emotions have been festering for years and finding her alive two years later was bringing them out full force. "Heero…I –"

"I died that day. I couldn't understand how she could just be gone like that. It killed me." Heero turned back towards the skyline, looking back up at the dark abyss above them, Duo's eyes still fixed on him. He saw the tears the brimmed his glassy eyes, the emotions taking him over. He blinked, trying to push them away but they trickled down slowly, defying what he wanted, humiliating him further. "I can't lose her again, Duo.

"You won't, man. We won't let that happen." Duo said as he took his seat back on the edge. The rest of the night they were silent, staying on the rooftop until the sun rose, lighting up the sky of a new day.


	8. Wearing and Tearing

_Notes_: I changed this chapter title, did some minor editing. Just rewording things. If you read this chapter already, don't worry. Nothing new is added.

* * *

_That's the Way_

_Chapter 8_

_Wearing and Tearing_

Relena was immediately gripped by fear when she awoke. She kept her eyes shut tight, fearing the imminent assault that she always woke to. The erratic beeping caused her to open her eyes, curiosity sinking in. The sudden bright light above her hurt her eyes, causing her to swing her arm up in front of her face. With a makeshift shield protecting her vision, she cautiously opened her eyes again, taking her unfamiliar surroundings.

She looked to her left and saw the heart monitor and IV drip linked up to her arm. The rest of the room was white and bright, a sanctuary from her usual quarters. She looked at the vase full of vibrant flowers at the table at the foot of her bed, a small teddy bear resting against it. An eyebrow inquisitively lifted, recognizing such a gesture to be a gift but knowing her captors would never offer such a pleasure.

Ignoring the pain that crept through her sudden movements, she sat up in the bed. She moved to look out the window but the door sliding open shocked her. She recoiled into herself.

"Who are you?" She yelled, startling the nurse.

Her arms went up in mock defense, trying to coax the patient to relax. "I'm a nurse here at the Earth's European Preventers' Medical Center. I've been – "

"Preventers?" Her eyes lit up, recalling the events that had occurred in the past seventy-two hours. It was real. Everything had actually happened and with the realization falling over her, she could not hold back the tears. For the first time in over two years, her dreams had not betrayed her.

"Where's Heero?" She asked, choking on a sob.

"Who?"

"Heero! He brought me here! Where is he?" She demanded, growing frustrated with the woman.

"Ms. Darlain, I don't know who you're talking about."

She lifted a hand up to her forehead, rubbing it in aggravation. "He is an agent at Preventers. He was my bodyguard. He…he found me. He brought me back." Her eyebrows furrowed, confusion setting in. She looked at the nurse with glassy eyes, her vision hazy with tears. "Didn't he?"

* * *

Sally stood uncomfortably in her office. She had been working all night evaluating Relena's condition and doing all she could to mend old injuries. It was a long process but she was driven, running on adrenaline the entire night. Now here she stood, nine in the morning, waiting for her associates to arrive.

Une was already aware of the young woman's current status – stable but traumatized. She had yet to see her but she could only imagine what she looked like. She had been busying herself with how to reintroduce Relena Peacecraft-Darlian back into the world, knowing that the press conference was soon coming. At least that was what she told herself.

It was not long before the men were all present except for Heero. The group waited but when fifteen minutes passed and he had yet to arrive, the conference began.

Sally cleared her throat, her professional composure taking over. "I wanted to have a formal gathering with you all this morning to discuss how to handle the delicacy of this situation. Relena will make a full, physical recovery in time. However her mental recovery will take much more time. I spoke with her during my examination and she gave me permission to disclose this very personal, very sensitive information to you but it is to go no further than those doors. She knows and I know that you can be trusted with this information. I discussed it with Commander Une and we believe that it is important to the investigation though you must not let it cloud your judgment."

Picking up the clipboard, she thumbed through the pages. Typically conversing with a client's family was not an uncomfortable experience and she needed to keep herself together to get through it as smoothly as possible.

"Relena had numerous contusions on her body as well as a number of abrasions and lacerations. There were some obvious botched stitch jobs done on her older wounds, fortunately they healed but there is some heavy scarring. In my x-rays, I did confirm a couple old fractures in her left arm and wrist. Her ulna did need to be re-broken and set, as it did not heal properly. Her scaphoid, part of her wrist, luckily did. Her arm is set in a plaster cast and will stay on for six weeks. She also had two ribs that were broken. They mended just fine, no damaged lungs. She had broken three fingers. One was recent and is presently set in a splint.

"She was dehydrated which resulted in hypotension but we have her blood pressure leveled out now. She is malnourished but we're working on getting her the proper nutrients. She's low in riboflavin, thiamin, tryptophan, niacin…these deficiencies are resulting in a grocery list of other problems – weakness, fatigue, anemia, pellagra, confusion, insomnia, low serotonin production, fever, loss of appetite. We did catch it early enough that it did not get to a point where we could not handle it and there will be no lasting side effects.

"I also found some small punctures in the crook of her right arm. My best guess is they were pumping her with a drug to keep in her in a delirious, manageable state. I'm still waiting on her blood results. It will be a couple days." Sally took in a deep breath, catching up on lost air as she ran through the charts as quickly as possible. She put the clipboard on the desk, stepping to the front of it and leaning against it. "She is suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. She is extremely sensitive right now and her guards are up. I could not get her to talk to me about a lot but I am hoping some time will get her to open up. I implore each one of you to not force her. It will only cause her to shut down more and will make her feel threatened. We are her friends and we are here to help her first and foremost. If the investigation is to be pushed back for her wellbeing, then I am okay with that. Do you all understand?"

* * *

Heero had not been present at the scheduled meeting that morning. He had purposely avoided it, unsure of how he would take the information. He was aware of some of her injuries, having tended for them on their way back to earth. Relena was silent through the entire trip, either in a trance-like state or comfortably asleep.

Now he was heading to her hospital room, alone and in private at three in the morning. He did not want to disturb her slumber but he did not want to risk catching her awake. With her level of coherency increasing, he was growing more anxious at the thought of coming into contact with her. He was sure she would never forgive him. So for as long as he could, he would avoid the conversation all together.

He walked through the dim hallway, his head low, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a white vase. He knew this corridor was rigged up to numerous cameras but guards were sparse for clearance reasons and to keep attention away. The wing was already classified as restricted, spurring rumors throughout the agency. How stunned would the law enforcement community be when they hear who has taken residence in this hospital.

Heero walked into the dark room. The steady rhythm of Relena's heartbeat soothed him as he walked to the foot of her bed. He put the vase of arctic starflowers on the small table. He knew she would appreciate waking up to them in the morning.

Taking the clipboard in his hands, he walked up the side of the bed. The moonlight was the only source of light in the room, her milky skin glowing. She was only beginning her recovery but she already looked healthier. Her body was not as rigid but he knew she was still cautious and scared. For the first time in a long time, she could sleep comfortably with no fear of attack.

His hand lifted to touch her cheek but he stopped short of her bruised skin. He retracted his hand and turned quickly, leaving the room while flipping through the papers.

A lot of it was standard, just minor injuries and deficiencies. He continued reading, examining every word and chart on each sheet of paper.

He came to the end of the stack, scanning the last page thoroughly. He bristled and his grip tightened around the plastic, it snapping under the pressure. The clipboard fell out of his hand as he swung it, a blind rage taking over, shrouding his mind in red. His heart was racing, his breathing ragged and uneven. The anger burned in his entire body as he seethed, his jaw aching as it clenched tightly. He pulled his arm back, leaving a hole in the wall of the corridor.

* * *

Sally had her hands full as she struggled with the card key to her office, balancing a stack of files and a much-needed cup of coffee on her forearm. The door slid open and she stepped inside, throwing the key on the small table next to her. She jumped when she looked up, coffee splashing onto her paperwork.

"Dammit, Heero." She said as she wiped at the coffee with some tissue. "You can't just break in here and not give me any warning. Now there's coffee all over my –"

"Do the others know?" He turned towards, his eyes sharp and dark.

She continued cleaning up her papers, not looking at him. "Do they know what, Heero?"

"Do they know that she was raped?" His voice was level and low. She could sense the grief and the heartache in his voice past the anger it presented. Heero was both great and terrible at managing his emotions. Over the course of the seven years she has known him, she has learned to decipher the small tells of his true emotional state.

Forgetting about the soiled work papers beneath her fingers, Sally sighed and stood straight up, meeting his stern gaze. "So it was you who was there in the middle of the night."

He walked towards her, his shoulders visibly tense. "Did you tell everyone?"

"No." She stated, "No, I didn't. I wouldn't. I told them most everything else; she had given me permission to. Zechs is the only other one who knows about the rape."

Heero mellowed slightly. "How did he take it?"

She faked a laugh, "I have to buy a new office chair." For the first time, she took notice of Heero's right hand. It was bruised and inflamed with scrapes and small traces of dried blood on his knuckles. "You should put ice on that. Here, let me look at it." She carefully examined his injured hand. Heero paid her no mind, looking off towards the window. "Your first and second knuckles are probably broken. I can't be certain without an x-ray but I'm going to tape it up and it should heal just fine."

Sally walked over to her desk and opened the bottom drawer, pulling out her first aid kit. She grabbed the medical tape and stepped back over to her comrade, taking his hand again and wrapping the sticky material around his first two fingers, then wrapped his hand in a light bandage. "I want you to ice this for twenty minutes, then let it sit for an hour and then start icing it again – for four hours." She looked up at him when she was finished. "And actually do it so it will heal quickly. Then I will leave you alone about it."

He did not respond.

"Heero, she will pull through. I know how hard it is to take in but you have to keep a level head." She set a hand on his shoulder, trying to connect with him. "You will only push her away if you don't."

* * *

Duo walked down the hallway carrying two coffees. He and Hilde were going to see Relena this morning. Hilde had been raving about how excited she was to see her again, how happy she was that she was alive. Yesterday he promised he would take her first thing the following morning. Hilde could barely sleep last night; she would wake him up constantly with her shuffling. He did not mind it, he was glad to see the newly ignited spark in her with knowledge that one of her closest friends was alive after these years.

They drove the short distance from their townhouse to the Preventers' base and now they were waiting for their approval from Sally to go visit her.

Duo found Hilde pacing in the waiting area, absently chewing on her fingernails. He walked up next to her, placing the hot beverage in her hand and kissing the side of her head.

"Relax, it won't be much longer."

She took a careful sip, blinking away the sleep in her eyes. "I know, but I'm just so anxious."

They took a seat on a bench, Hilde leaning against the young man. He wrapped an arm around her, gently stroking her arm to calm her. They sat comfortably in each other's company while they waited for Sally. Hilde eventually drifted off into a light sleep, napping against her lover's lap. He would rub her cheek with his thumb, brushing her short hair out of her face. It had been close to an hour before the elevator doors slid open and Sally stepped out, a smile gracing her face as she saw her friends.

Duo gently woke Hilde. "We can go see her now."

The three stepped into the elevator, riding up quietly. They had to maneuver through some corridors to get to the restricted section where Relena reside.

"How is the scrap yard doing?" Sally asked as they neared their destination.

"It's doing well. Patrick has been taking great care of it. He sends us weekly updates of the numbers and sales are up." Duo answered, smiling at their accomplishment. They had only started working there together at age sixteen but a few years down, the owner turned it over to them and they had been running it for the past two and a half years. After Relena's supposed death, they extended their stay on earth and left Patrick in charge, who had become a close friend and was a trusted employee. "It's been hard to stay away from it for so long but it's in good hands and I'm more needed here right now."

"Alright, here we are." She announced, stopping in front of Relena's door. "I'll let you two go in alone. I'll come check on you in a little while." She swiped her key and the door slid open.

Hilde had frozen in place, questioning if she would be able to see her in such a state. Duo had given her the details and she could not hold back the tears in learning that her friend had endured such trials. She had spent all night excited and now at the moment she could, she doubted she could actually see her.

She looked down as she felt a familiar warmth around her hand. She looked up into Duo's eyes, an encouraging smile on his face. "It's okay, Hilde."

Those simple words gave her the strength she needed and with a fluttering heart, she stepped in the room with Duo by her side.

"Hi Hilde, Duo." Relena greeted.

She gasped when she saw Relena for the first time in over two years. The fact that she was still alive hit her even harder when she laid eyes upon the young woman. Relena had always looked delicate but seeing her now, she looked broken and frail. As disheartening as it was to see her like this, it filled her with such happiness to see her alive. Hilde felt the hot liquid spill over her cheeks, a small laugh of joy breaking through her sobs as she rushed over to the other woman's bedside. She would hug her if she thought she would not hurt her so she sufficed to take her hand in hers, the contact making her exhilaration overflow.

"I'm so happy to see you." She choked out, nothing else coming to mind.

"Me too, Hilde. I've really missed you." Relena's voice was small and quiet, which Hilde knew to be atypical of the strong woman. She could inspire hope in the masses with the words she spoke, with a voice full of life and fervor. Hilde could barely recognize her.

"Are you…are you okay?"

"I'm better now." She sat up, giving her friend a small smile. "How have you been?"

She grinned back at Relena. "I'm better now."

Duo brought a chair behind Hilde, her leaning back into it. He grabbed another chair and sat next to her. "We're all just happy to see you alive."

"Are you two still working at the scrap yard in space?" She questioned, anxious to catch up with her friends.

Duo laughed light. "Well, we actually own it now."

"Oh, you do? That is so great to hear!"

Hilde nodded, "We left our good friend Patrick in charge while we're away. But we're actually considering living on earth instead of going back to live on the colonies."  
"I'm thinking about being permanent at Preventers here on earth. Plus you can't beat the sunsets here."

Relena beamed, Duo knowing this was the most excitement she has had in a long time. "Are you two still dating?"

The pair looked at each other. "Well," they both smiled, "we're actually engaged." Duo replied happily, lifting Hilde's left hand to show the modestly sized diamond ring.

"Really?" She exclaimed, visibly brightening and straightening. "That is such great news! When is the wedding?" The two could see the wheels turning, Relena already intent on being a part of the planning.

This was the most normal she had felt in a long time. She had almost completely forgotten what it was like to be a normal twenty-one year old girl with friends and a life outside of fear. This was one of the happiest moments she could ever recall in her lifetime.

"We don't have a date set just yet but we'll figure it out. It is so great knowing you will be there." Hilde said, finally mustering the courage to hug her fragile friend. She was beginning to feel like things were getting back to normal, like Relena had never died and come back to life but like she had been living all along. It was a wonderful sensation.

"It's so exciting knowing I can be there with you," she returned the embrace. "With everyone."

* * *

By the day's close, Relena was exhausted. She had faced a lot of excitement in the brief reunions with her old friends and when the sun was long since set, she was drained physically and emotionally. As happy as she was, she could not help but still feel disappointed that one person had not yet visited her.

She remembered the first time she saw him in that dungeon. She could barely believe it. It was not until she felt his physical touch that she had a wave of relief through her delirium. A lot of her trip back to earth was a haze, her mind and body too deprived to be able to process the events right before her.

A wave of sadness rushed over her. She had spent so long missing him and now that she was back, him knowing her to be very much alive, she still has to sit and wait for him, continuing to long for him.

She wiggled the fingers on her casted hand, cringing as she tried to relieve the irritating itch. She leaned over towards the nightstand, shuffling through the drawer. She was happy when she found a pen, moving to slide it under her cast.

"You should try a hair dryer instead."

Relena yelped, the heart monitor's beeps suddenly hastening. "Heero?" She called, finally recognizing the voice.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Heero smiled internally as he heard her heart rate steady.

"It's okay." She blushed, embarrassed at her transparency. "What do you mean use a hair dryer?"

He motioned his hand towards her casted arm. "The itch. Set it to cool and blow it at the edge of the cast. It will help and it won't scrape your skin."

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Oh. Thanks."

He shook his head, acknowledging her. "Is it okay if I sit down?"

"Yes, please." She tried her best to not sound eager but she could not hide it in her voice. Each step he took made her heart quicken, the fluttering starting in her chest and her stomach. She grinned. "You own a hair dryer?"

He stared at her blankly, not very amused at her jest. "I hate being itchy." He stated plainly.

They sat quietly for a moment, content in the other's company. Relena had her hands in her lap, tapping her thumbs together as she stared at her lap. Heero had his ankle over his knee, hands still in the pockets of his jacket as he looked towards the black screen of the television set.

"Thank you," she said hesitantly. "For the flowers."

Heero turned to her and took his hands out of his pockets, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together tightly. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine." She answered instinctively.

She met his gaze, tired of telling everyone just how fine she felt. It was not an deliberate charade, she had been elated to see everyone but she still could not set her nerves at ease. She jumped at every sound, she went into defensive mode every time the door opened and every time she closed her eyes, she was reliving her nightmare.

His dark eyes bore into her lighter pair, easily reading her. He could tell how hard she had been trying to keep everything in and to pretend everything was fine but he could always see through every shield she put up against the world.

Shining tears began to stream down her face, her finally giving into the breakdown. "I'm not fine. I haven't been. I'm so scared of everything, Heero." She cried, her face in her hand. "I'm home. I'm safe. And I'm terrified." She heaved between her words, trying to get a full breath. She lifted her head, looking at him with red, puffy eyes. "So why am I still scared?"

Heero was astonished, unsure of what he could possibly say to make her feel better. He opened his mouth to comfort her but no words could find their way out. She waited, her eyes wide and desperate for anything from him.

Knowing nothing to say, he leaned over the edge of the bed and wrapped his arms around her shaking form. She buried her face into his shoulder, wetting his jacket with her falling tears. He did not say anything, merely continuing to hold on to her until he knew she felt safe.


	9. In My Time of Dying

_Notes_: I'm sure you may have noticed some changes in the chapters. Don't worry, it's all the same story.

* * *

_That's the Way_

_Chapter 9_

_In My Time of Dying_

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice." Une laced her fingers together in front of her on the desk. For the past week, Heero had been lingering around Relena's quarters. He would spend the majority of the nights in the shadows of her room, silently watching over her as she slept. He had been protecting her the way he always had.

Une would turn a blind mind to his intrusions, knowing Relena welcomed his presence and that even if she tried to keep him out, he would always find a way back in. She was okay with it if it helped keep him levelheaded.

"Why did you call me in?"

"I received an email this morning."

He stared at her, already growing tired of her ambiguity surrounding the circumstances he was here.

She took in a deep breath. "It's from Crowley."

Heero's hands balled into tight fists, his knuckles whitening from the pressure. The man's name set the disdain in his core, his emotions all being coated by the anger of what he was responsible for. The emotions simmered to the surface of his controlled exterior.

Une could see the darkening of his eyes and the tightness in his jaw. His emotions were barely restrained and she could see it clearly, no matter how slight the changes were.

"They're threatening us."

Heero leveled his gaze with Une's, coming back to the immediate reality. These people, whoever they are, were obviously very courageous. Their previous attack on Relena was successful, though in the end it ultimately failed. They must be implementing their backup plan, having since gained enough motivation to move forward.

"Can we track their position?" Heero asked.

She shook her head. "We tried. It's completely untraceable." Her face changed immediately, flashing to a level of severity that he seldom saw.

He waited patiently for her to deliver the message he was here for. He could feel his body tense, already sensing the dilemma they were soon to be facing. Things were about to get far more complicated.

"We have sixteen hours to turn Relena over to their possession—"

"I'm not giving her back." He interrupted her, visibly flaring at the notion.

She noted the possessive nature in his remark. It seemed that everyone knew how he really felt about Relena except for him.

Raising a single hand, she dismissed the idea. It was never her intent to give one of the most notable, celebrated politicians up to a group of deranged radicals. "Heero, they intend on leaking the documents if we don't. Her status of being dead or alive does not help us in this situation. She has been gone for over two years, the people are going to be in a frenzy." He did not respond but the dread he felt was obvious to sense in the air around him. "We have to prepare for serious damage control."

* * *

Relena lay quietly in her bed. She anxiously grasped small handfuls of the sheets that blanketed her frail form. She had been awake for hours, rising long before the sun. The nightmares were disrupting her sleep and she was incapable of quelling the rampant images that rushed her subconscious. Being awake did not banish the thoughts but at the very least it did not feel as real.

She closed her eyes, sinking into the pillow.

The memories fell like a stone in a lake, their presence rippling out as they consumed her. She futilely tried to rid her mind of them. The more she tried to resist, the harder her memories fought.

She remembered feeling like an abused dog the way they berated and beat her. Her living conditions were a no better an environment for an animal and she was forced to spend her days locked in that cell.

She could take the criticism and she could handle the physical strikes. But after a couple months, they grew bored and found a new way to belittle her. She knew they were monsters but they sank to a level she did not believe they would. The nightmares of those men grabbing her, of them controlling her, of them violating her were growing so vivid that sacrificing sleep was a better alternative.

It was a miserable way to live and the only way she made it through it was clinging to the swiftly dwindling hope that she would one day be rescued.

She brought her hands up, squeezing her arms in a reassuring hug. It was over now.

There was a brief knock on the door before it opened. She opened her eyes to see the nurse. "I brought your breakfast."

"Thank you."

She set it on the small table adjacent to the bed. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

"No, I'm okay."

The nurse gave her a sad smile and put an encouraging hand on her shoulder. "Just let me know if you need anything."  
Relena placed her hand over hers. "I will, thank you." She smiled and the nurse left the room. She had developed a bit of a friendship with the woman who took care of her a fair portion of the day.

She glanced at the food beside her. She was not hungry. She could not remember the last time she had a full meal. Even now that she had access to decent food, she could not find the appetite to consume it. Her stomach protested but she did not want it. She pushed the tray away.

Her body was frail. She had always been thin but while in captivity it seemed like she shed pounds by the day. Gaining weight, from fatty tissue to muscle, was necessary for her recovery but it was going to be a slow process as she adjusted her new life – her old life.

She had seen herself in the mirror in recent days. Her skin was a sickly white and her eyes were dulled and grayed, dark rings and creases surrounding them. They were sunken around the sockets and her cheeks looked no better, a testament to the neglect her body had endured. She barely recognized herself, from the gaunt, angular features to the way she jumped at the slightest creak of a door. It had been the first time in over two years she saw her own visage and even if she had not changed in appearance, she doubted she would know it was her she was looking at.

Those men had broken Relena and she was ashamed of herself for letting it happen. She could have stopped them and she could have been stronger but they overpowered her by force and by will. She was dirty.

There was an emptiness in her core.

Relena, the previous Queen of the World, the princess of the Peacecraft family, the youngest Foreign Minister the Earth and Colonies had ever seen, had died at nineteen. Her imminent public resurrection would say otherwise but the day she was kidnapped was the day she died. She was not the same person she was before and from her perspective, she could not be that person again. She was too damaged. What haunted her most was that not as strong as she thought she was. She did not deserve to be reinstated. It was already hard enough imagining what the world would think of her when they found out about her. She was a disgrace to herself and the world. No one would ever be able to even look at her, why would they ever listen to her?

She was mad at herself when the tears started to fall. She did not want to cry, she did not want people to see her like this. She tried so hard to keep it in. Heero had seen her cry, completely crumbling beneath the weight of the colossal burden of her emotions. It was humiliating. She hated how she wordlessly demanded his comfort, knowingly forcing him into a territory he was not familiar with and that he contentedly avoided. She was selfish and needy.

The knock at the door startled her, eliciting a shrill yelp from her throat between her quiet sobs.

Sally came in quickly, clearly alarmed. "Are you okay, Relena? I didn't mean to startle you."

Everyone had to tiptoe around her. "It wasn't your fault." She whispered, turning head the away from Sally, hiding her tears. She wiped frustratingly at her cheeks and nose, ridding the fluids from her face quickly as possible. It was obvious she had been crying. She sniffled.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Sally had tried futilely to will Relena to talk about what happened but she refused. She did not want to make her problem everyone else's – at least not anymore than it had already become.

"No." The word ran past her lips before she had a chance to stop it. The last thing she was trying to be was rude.

Sally nodded, accepting the decision she had been anticipating. She picked up the chart, thumbing through the papers. "How is your arm feeling?" She asked without looking up from her reading.

She replied absently, having been through the same questioning countless times. She was tired but she could not sleep. She was hungry but could not find an appetite. And though she would never say it, she just wanted the other woman to leave so she could be left alone. She was not up for questions. Her polite nature superseded her welling agitation.

The question just came out. "What happened to my staff?"

Sally was silent for a moment that felt longer to Relena than it actually was. "Relena..." It was the only thing she could find the words for, her voice trailing off and dropping into a heavy silence.

Relena instantly knew what that meant. Tears brimmed her eyes, her gaze falling to her lap. "All of them?" She whispered.

"I'm sorry."

She simply nodded, biting her bottom lip as she did all she could to stop the tears. A few minutes passed as she collected herself, regaining her familiar political demeanor.

"Why did you think I was dead if you didn't find a body?"

"We found teeth."

She thrummed absently at her teeth, running a tongue over the solid enamel. "I have all my teeth."

"We know that now." Sally stated. "That means your dental records were swapped out. The digital and hard copies were both changed. That's a physical task. The teeth we found were so damaged and charred that we couldn't pull DNA from them. Matching was the only way."

"Oh."

"We had no way of knowing you were alive. We searched the grounds for over a week and we didn't find anything to tell us that you survived. We didn't want to accept that you were gone but all the evidence told us that you were. No words can express how regretful we are for such a blunder but I'm sorry, Relena."

She was quiet. The sorrow expressed in Sally's words stung Relena's heart, her chest tightening. She never blamed any of them for not finding her sooner than they had. She blamed herself for falling victim to such a crime. They did all they could and with the only evidence telling them that they she had not, why would they believe she survived. They never made a mistake, they did everything right.

"Relena?"

It was suddenly impossible to breathe. The anxiety tightened her airway, her breaths coming out in short, sputtering gasps. She brought her hand up to her chest, grasping at her gown desperately as if it would suddenly relieve the pressure that sat heavily on her body. Her eyes were wide and glassy, clouded with a blinding fear. Her thudded erratically against her ribs, each beat resonating in her ears.

Her mind grew more disoriented with each shuddering pant. She struggled out of bed as she tried to escape the arms grasping at her. They were touching her again. They found her. They said they would always find her and they had. She had to get away from them.

She started yelling, thrashing in the tangled web of arms around her body.

"Stop! Let me go!" She clawed her way past them. She could see the open doorway. She just needed to reach that door.

She could feel their hands around her waist. "Leave me alone!" She clawed at his grip feebly. The tears burned her cheeks, the humiliation searing her flesh like acid as they broke her again.

She felt a pinch in her arm. They were drugging her again.

"No, please." Her words were slurring as the poison swam through her veins. "Stop." Her limbs grew too heavy to fight with and she could not protect herself from these monsters again. The world slanted. "Don't." Her voice echoed, sounding far away and foreign to ears.

She was looking up at the ceiling and then Sally came into her view. Her mouth was moving but her words were muffled, like she was talking to her while she was underwater. She could not make out anything she was saying. Black rings crept into her vision, slowing eating away everything in her sight and lifting her into the void.

* * *

Heero was shaken. He had been walking to Relena's room when he heard her screams. His senses were on high alert as his body went rigid. His legs carried him in long, heavy strides. He ran into the room to see Sally and another nurse struggling to subdue her. He saw her eyes for the briefest moment and saw the same look she gave him when he first found her. It was an empty awareness, of being attentive but disoriented.

He grabbed her, his hands nearly encircling her entire, emaciated waist. She was small and fragile and he was afraid he would hurt her. Sally injected her with the sedative with the nurse's assistance and it was a matter of seconds before she passed out. He lifted her back into the bed and left the room without looking back.

Sally grabbed him from the hallway and led him to her office.

He was pacing for several minutes, silent, as he was lost in thought. Sally waited patiently at her desk, allowing him to settle. It was easy to tell the young man had grown steadily anxious as the moments passed.

Suddenly his dark eyes were on her. "What happened?"

She sighed, straightening her posture. "It's not unusual for rape victims to get lost in a state of hypervigilance. It is a common symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder."

He stiffened at the word. He did not want to think about those terrorists with their hands any where near Relena. He tried to banish the thoughts from his mind completely. "She has seemed fine."

"Seeming is not being. She needs help to deal with this but she refuses it. It's obvious enough to say that she thinks she needs to be strong enough to deal with this on her own but the fact is, what she endured was traumatic. Her mental state will never heal if she does not accept help. She doesn't have to talk to me but she needs to talk to someone. She cannot keep this inside. Or else moments like these will keep happening."

He was processing her words gradually. He had always known Relena to be strong and was perplexed as to why she would start doubting her strength now. She had survived what she went through and she way making her recovery to health with each passing minute. Weak was the last thing she could ever be.

"I will talk to her." He turned to exit the office. Before he opened the door, Sally called out.

"Don't force her. We want her to talk, but if she refuses, don't push her. This is a wound that can't be helped with applied pressure."

He waited in Relena's room for her to wake up, the drug's effect still heavy in her system. It was two hours before she came to.

"Heero." She breathed, his name a low whisper on her lips. Her eyes were glazed with fatigue.

He watched her carefully. "Don't shut yourself down."

She blinked in confusion. "What?"

"You are refusing to talk to anyone about what happened. You should." His words were detached, sounding callous and analytical.

"You are telling me that I need to talk?" She was getting defensive, her eyes darkening at his uncouth comments.

"I am."

She glowered as fiercely as she could muster. "Why should I talk to you of all people?"

Looking straight in her eyes with a burning intensity, her glare faltered involuntarily. "Because I'm trying to help you. I don't know how but if you talk, I will listen."

The tears were welling in her eyes again, making them shine with a fearful sadness. She crinkled her nose in frustration, making her voice as sturdy as possible through her welling sobs. "I don't want to talk about it, Heero." She looked away, trying her best to hide the falling tears.

"You are stronger than you give yourself credit for." Suddenly she looked back at him. "I am here to listen." He reiterated.

Relena was quiet for a while, looking everywhere in the room except at Heero. She was scared and embarrassed. The thought of having to talk about her ordeals was terrifying to her. Heero had saved her, had seen her at her worst and he still had so much faith in her strength when she had given up on it long ago. She was an object to those moment, nothing more than a toy that they could play with whenever they wanted. She was not sure if she would be able to talk about it.

Though the minutes passed slowly, he still waited with all the patience in the world. He did not shift in his seat, he did not interrupt her thoughts and he did not pry. He accepted her concerns and doubts and he waited.

Finally she met his gaze, his eyes looking through every barrier she had in place and coaxing away every fear that gnawed at her core. He said she was strong all on her own but looking into his eyes as this moment, she knew that he was her strength. She spoke softly.

"I don't remember much about my kidnapping. One moment I was in the kitchen and the next they were dragging me off a shuttle in space. They took me to that prison. It was like a maze walking through there the few times that I had been out of the cell. I lived in the small room my entire time in captivity. It was humiliating." She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms protectively around them. "I was stubborn for a long time. I would never let them see me cry or hear me scream. They hated that. They wanted to break me but I refused to let them." She laid her head on her knees, facing him.

"I said how sure I was that you were all coming to save me and it would only be a matter of days before you were there. I was so sure of it and I would flaunt that confidence. It only made them mad. Eventually they would start to hit me on a daily basis. I would go days without food. The more time went by, the less I would say you would rescue me." She buried her face in her knees, finding it easier to talk when she was not meeting his gaze. "They started touching me. And that soon turned into them completely controlling me. They got me to scream after that. I…" She faltered, struggling to bring the words together. "I was a virgin before that and they took that from me. They took everything from me."

Heero could see the blush radiating on her ears and neck. She lifted her head again.

"My hope in Preventers and in you just dwindled into nothing the longer I was there. After I stopped believing anyone would find me, they started to taunt me. They would tell me that you were onto them and they were going to transfer me. But after a while they would laugh and tell me that I would die their pet." Her eyebrows creased as she looked back at him. "The verbal abuse was easy to manage. I could bit my tongue when the physical assaults started. But when they started controlling me…I felt powerless."

She wiped the tears away, rubbing her eyes with her palms. "No one knew I was alive. No one knew where to find me. The world was getting along fine without me. I was nothing but a fading memory to universe."

She stopped, the emotional turmoil of the recalling the memories too much for her to manage. "I'm sorry, I can't keep talking about this right now."

Heero did not respond, he was accepting the information given to him and using every ounce of strength he can to keep his anger under control. He was completely livid and the heat burned him to the core. He kept his voice devoid of any emotion. "Did they say anything about what their intentions were?"

She shook her head. "No, I didn't know anything. I'm sorry."

He nodded mutely. It was becoming impossible to control himself. "They plan on framing the ESUN and Preventers for killing you."

Her face dropped even further. "No..." She whispered. "But how?"

"They have documents. We had some analysts look over the digital copies of the files that we found. They said they're in perfect condition. It is virtually impossible to tell that they're forgeries."

"How long do you have?"

"Eleven hours."

"What are their demands?"

He turned his head away from her. "They want you back."

"No!" She shouted immediately, reaching out to touch him but she stopped inches from his arm. A strong hand took hold of hers, her delicate fingers curling into the comforting hold. "Don't give me back." She whispered.

"I was never going to hand you over to those people." His stare was fierce and she melted inside as the dedication in his eyes glowed brightly with a ferocious intensity. He would always protect her, ever faithful to his promise.

Their eyes stayed connected as the rest of the world around them stood still, his hand strong but gentle around hers.

She pulled back. "You can't tell people that I'm alive."

"Relena, we—"

"Please. Don't. The media will be after me if they know and I—I'm not ready for that. I'm begging you not to."

He gave her a curt nod. "I'll talk to Une."

"No need to." The door slid shut behind her. "Relena, we need to reveal your status to avoid a potential civilian riot and outbreak of war. This is bigger than you, than us – this is for the safety of peace."

Relena looked fearful, conflicted about her needs and the needs of the people. It would be damaging to her mental health if people were in a frenzy to see her and to put her in the limelight at this time. But more importantly, to stay hidden would have major repercussions in the political realm, from the earth to the colonies. She was a symbol for peace and if the people protecting her and the government she was a part of supposedly teamed up to kill her, people would be picketing in the streets and the colonies would lash out. It was an impossible decision for her to make at the moment but she did not have any time.

"I just…I can't do it." Her eyes were begging her to understand how difficult this was. "I don't know what I would do."

Une sighed, giving into her plea. "Either way, we needed to be prepared for the flare up. I will be in my office working on a statement." She fixed her gaze on Heero. "I suggest you be cautious. It is well known that you were Relena's bodyguard, fingers will be pointed at you for your involvement."

The following morning was quiet. The documents were going to be released at midnight of that morning and there was nothing. The news was quiet, the recruits were hard at work and the people were carrying on with business as usual.

Une was worried. She did not believe with such viable evidence in their hand that they would use it as a bluff if they had the chance to move forward with their plans, as skeptic as she was about them. The most plausible explanation was they wanted to start a war. But why would they hesitate at the opportunity? It was not adding up to her.

Their intents could simply be to tarnish the name of the ESUN or to completely discredit the Preventers as universal police force. These people were obviously people of action. She could not piece it together.

Her entire morning she was distracted, having slept very little the night before to keep her eye on every credible news station the earth and colonies had access to. And nothing about Relena's death and the people responsible were on.

She had to attend to an important meeting this morning with ESUN and colony representatives. Quatre was in attendance for the L4 colony, having gone back to his normal ritual as a political figure of the colony and leading his family's business. He had been working for her as a freelance Preventer on Relena's case when the instances arose.

It was hard to focus with so much on her mind. The future projects and expansions of the security in the galaxy with Preventers was doing little to interest her. She had already expanded Preventers into some of the colonies but she wanted to keep moving out and would eventually be in place as the sole task force on Mars. She was not trying to monopolize the security of the galaxy but she was aiming for more consistent laws spread across the population with police that were well trained in a similar way. So far the representatives were pleased with notion and her plans were moving forward.

Considering her reputation and all of Preventers was in jeopardy, this meeting would possibly only end up being a waste of her efforts.

"What do you think of that, Commander Une?" A man with graying hair inquired, snapping her out of her reverie.

She was quiet, discontent with her lack of professionalism.

"We were considering placing two large Preventers bases on the main colonies to use as Special Forces and to maintain these peaceful times. The police stations already present can remain in place and handle the day-to-day." Quatre repeated, having sensed her distracted state from the start of the meeting.

She grimaced. "While that is a reasonable proposition, I think it would eliminate any confusion of authority if it we were to have one police force. We could have it function as a merge of the Preventers and district police which handles crimes in the same way but all would be of Preventers and those new to the force would have the opportunity to rise in the ranks in this organization."

Another man scoffed. "Why bother? You're just trying to get your hands in every reach of the human populous. Our police systems have worked just fine for two hundred years. We don't need your help."

"I understand why you would feel that way but this is for no reason beyond the betterment of the people. It would be a great support to the maintenance of peace all across the earth and colonies instead of us having to look into potential threats from afar and having to reach our smaller contacts that may not be stationed on the colonies home of the threat."

He stood up abruptly, the chair sliding behind him across the tile. "Now listen here, I come from a good colony with good people. And I don't need people like _you_ acting like we're a bunch of criminals."

She raised her hands in mock defense. "That is not what I was suggesting at all, Representative Lyon. I was merely saying that—"

Duo burst into the room suddenly, Une's secretary frantically chasing behind him. "Sir! You are not allowed to be in here."

He grabbed the remote off the desk beneath the large television and threw it onto the table. "Turn on the news."

* * *

_Notes:_ Hope I didn't disappoint!


End file.
